Dance of the Trickster
by A-Giant-Fan
Summary: Sequel to Dance of the Empress. Final Kwami. Final hero. Final fight. The heroes of Paris have gained a new ally just in time, because HawkMoth is on the move and Paris is his battleground. As our heroes brace for the end, Alya comes to terms with her new powers and revelations. A hero's secrets keep others safe - but could they also be the one thing keeping them from victory?
1. Just Around the Fountain Bend

Alya walked along the Parisian sidewalks as evening settled over the city. The Dupain-Cheng bakery was a moment away, around the corner of the park fencing. She could hear the waters beneath the bridge because there was no traffic or pedestrians to tune it out. For the first time in what felt like hours, she was at peace.

 _I love my siblings, but babysitting them for so long with so little food in the fridge?_

She couldn't help but giggle to herself.

 _Maybe I should take to cooking like mom. At least then I could find ways of turning old cereal and spinach into artistic gourmet. I could call it "The Alya Special"…or "Hero Sandwich but Without the Sand"…no, that would be dumb…I got it! I could call it "Delish Dish"!_

Now she was laughing, walking around the outer rim of the park. It felt good to have nothing to worry about on the horizon. It had been a strange few weeks in her district: the death of famous _Eye of Hera_ dancer Graham, Nathanael surviving a wicked fire, new superheroes going by Povas and Queen Bee showing up out of nowhere, and Chloe Bourgeois suddenly becoming a decent person. Good old Chloe was definitely the biggest shocker of the month.

 _Not that I don't miss Graham._

She remembered the funeral. Her parents had taken her while her siblings had stayed behind with a babysitter. They knew nothing about _Eye of Hera_ and it was too depressing to bring up around them. Her family stood with Sabrina and Max and their parents, as Mayor Bourgeois stood at the front of the crowd before city hall. Chloe was off to the side with the backup dancers, all three crying into each other's arms. One of the few times she had seen Chloe truly cry for the sake of someone other than herself. Speeches were made. Stories were shared. She even swore that there was someone in blue standing atop the building, if only for a moment.

 _I wish Marinette and Adrien could have come_ , she continued to round the park, _but it got really crowded. So many people adored Eye of Hera..., she took a deep breath. Focus, girl. Now is not the time to be moping._

It was going to be Chloe's birthday on the weekend, and Marinette had asked Alya to come over and help with the banner for the surprise party. Lila was too busy working with Nathanael on one of his paintings, and Adrien had Nino over to work on a school project. It was up to her to save the day. Again.

 _What would Marinette do without me? Other than stutter every time Adrien showed up._

She stopped at the park entrance. It was vacant and quiet, the only sound coming from the wind rustling the tree branches and the fountain water gushing out into the base. It was a place of pure inspiration for a photographer such as herself. She would definitely need to bring Marinette out for a look.

 _Speaking of which, if I show up late, she might eat all her father's cookies on me!_

She was about to run past to the bakery, when a quiet sneeze brought her to a halt. She looked back into the park to find no signs of life, but it had not been _her_ sneezing. Cautiously she took a step into the dark park. The merry-go-round was especially eerie without sunlight glistening off the horses. "…Hello?"

No response, but she was an investigator for a hobby. She knew there was something up in that park and she would not leave without finding the truth. "I heard your sneeze," she spoke quietly, "so you can show yourself." Instinctively she felt for her phone in her pocket. She was ready to call – or snap a shot – at a moment's notice. "Anybody?"

Finally, after a moment of awkward crawling on her part, she heard another sneeze followed by a sniffle, hidden around the base of the fountain. She crept up on her knees and peered around the stone. "How small are you-?"

There, across the fountain, hiding behind the base. She spotted a pair of pointed black ears that twitched and turned. Alya smiled. It was just a lost pet or stray cat. No danger here. She playfully crawled closer so not to scare the animal. "Here, kitty, kitty," she purred, "I promise not to harm you."

Once she was close enough she hopped out in front of the beast. "There you-?!"

It was not a lost pet.

It was not a stray cat.

It was a fox.

With a body the size of a small plush toy. With long, pointed orange ears with black tips. With smooth orange fur, yellow eyes, and a fluffy hooked fox tail hugging its body. It held a necklace in its dark brown paws, a fox tail pendant dangling. Alya had seen nothing like it, and it was obviously the source of the sneezing and sniffling, but she had no idea what to say beyond "whoa…are you an alien?"

She grabbed her phone and readied to take a picture. "Hold still for a moment. Marinette is going to love this."

The creature gasped and zipped out of the way. Alya tried a couple times to get a shot, but it was too fast, and eventually she gave up. "Okay, okay, no photos…yet."

"Please," it had a high pitched voice, "you have to help me!" It tried shoving the necklace into Alya's hands. "You need to transform and fight!"

Alya backed up. "What are you talking about? Transform? What, like…," her eyes widened and blinked the surprise away, "like Ladybug?"

"Yes, yes, become a hero like Ladybug, but now!"

This creature knew Ladybug. It knew how to make people transform like Ladybug. Alya had to get this on video. "Just give me-"

"There is no time!"

"Oh," came a voice from atop the merry-go-round, "there really is not."

Alya and the creature looked up at a hooded figure standing on the ride, dressed completely in black. "Come back to me, Kwami, and bring the miraculous," the figure's voice grew so cold it brought a chill to Alya's spine, "or the bystander is losing more than her phone."

 **It has been too long since I touch my _Dance of the_ series, and I have seriously missed nice Chloe and Graham and my HawkMoth twist (no spoilers here). I hope you guys have, too, and sorry if you've been waiting for so long. I had no intentions of actually making a third and final in the trilogy, but every time I came back and looked the other stories over, I felt guilty at not giving you guys a real ending. So, here we are, at the beginning of the final chapter in the _Dance of the Immortal_ trilogy. Be prepared for mysteries, alliances and secrets revealed!**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	2. Illusionary Ill-Will

_Kwami? Miraculous? Losing more than…?!_

The sweater wearing stranger jumped off the merry-go-round and began to walk towards Alya and the Kwami hiding behind her shoulder. She could feel the pendant on the necklace digging into her shirt. "Quick," the Kwami tossed the necklace into her hands, nearly causing her to drop her phone, "you have to put it on and transform!"

"Transform into what?!"

The stranger chuckled, stopping on the other side of the fountain. "You would place your trust in a complete stranger, Trixx?"

Alya glanced at the Kwami. "Your name is Trixx?"

"She knows nothing about you, Kwami, and she is not prepared for the responsibility you want to burden her with."

Alya looked at the pendant. It reminded her of the necklace Lila described, the one she bought to impress Adrien and ended up being akumatized with. The fake necklace had turned her into the villain Volpina…so the necklace she held now was…

"I could be the real Volpina?"

Trixx nodded. "Speak 'tail me' aloud and I can give you superpowers. You can stop this man from taking me away again!"

 _So what did he do to the original owner?!_

The stranger sighed. "Look, girl, this is how it works: the miraculous gives the user powers that are based on the animalistic traits of the Kwami. Kwami fox equals foxy nature. You get a flute that can create illusions, and the stronger the user the stronger the flute. You put that necklace on and you will be just like Ladybug and Chat Noir, like Queen Bee and Povas." Alya just made out a terrifying smirk under his hood.

"Too bad you are the _last_ person ready for such a task."

Whoever was under the hood was giving Alya some serious creeps. Fortunately, his taunting was also giving her some serious courage. She was holding a miraculous like the ring and earrings of her heroes. She could become a hero. Who was he to tell her she was inadequate? What made a thief better than a reporter?

Alya slipped the necklace on and put her phone back in her pocket. She knew next to nothing about Trixx, next to nothing about miraculous, and next to nothing about being a superhero. The stranger frowned. "Hey," he was approaching her now, "take that off and hand it over before you do something stupid!"

"TRIXX," she snapped with a grin, "TAIL ME!"

The stranger glared at her with piercing blue eyes. "Stop!"

It was too late. Trixx flew into the pendant as it covered Alya in a bright light. He was forced to cover his vision or be blinded by the transformation. As soon as the light vanished he gave her a look over. "…Whoa."

Before him stood a real live fox hero. A pair of orange ears popped up from her red hair, which now had snow white ends. An orange mask covered her eyes and matched her bodysuit, though with the addition of black over her legs and white along her stomach and chest. A long tail was hanging from the back of her waist, and a cream sash was wrapped around her hips; hooked to the side was a small white tube. The miraculous hung on her neck with five stripes along the tail pendant. "I…I did it," Alya almost squealed with joy, "I became a superhero!"

The stranger was impressed – but it would not stop him from attempting to finish what he came for. "Cute costume. Now hand over the miraculous before I pull your tail, little fox girl."

It was as if the costume – no, it was Trixx – had given her a new sense of bravery. She was not afraid of the man under the hood. _She_ was the one in control now. Grabbing the small tube she held it out, where it grew into a flute half as long as her body. She brought it to her lips and was quick to play a gentle tune, like she had been playing for years.

"Really," the man snickered, "you think that you have enough power to-?"

Footsteps behind him. He spun around, ready to face off against another pedestrian, when he was caught off guard by the appearance of his new assailants. "H-How?!"

Ladybug. Chat Noir. Queen Bee. Povas. All four Parisian heroes stood atop the merry-go-round, looking down at him with weapons raised. "How pathetic," Queen Bee rolled her eyes, "thinking you can take down a miraculous user."

 _Her voice is just like the real Queen Bee!_

He glanced back at Alya, who was walking towards him with her flute ready to swack. "I will admit, your illusions are impressive. Too bad I know the truth."

"You may know I created them," she countered with a smirk reminiscent of his own, "but that will _not_ stop them from taking you down."

Ladybug whipped her yo-yo at him. He flinched; his mistake. The cord wrapped around his arms and pinned him to his knees. "W-What," he couldn't break free, "but she's not real!"

"Too bad you flinched," Alya twirled her flute as the heroes jumped down to her side, "causing your mind to register her attack as an actual threat."

He fell silent for a moment…before chuckling. Alya cocked an eyebrow. Something about the way he chuckled was familiar. She had heard it somewhere before. Slowly she reached down and pulled his hood back, revealing the handsome face beneath. "Where have we met before?"

Then she gasped. A Kwami similar to Trixx flew out of the hood and landed on his head. "You already have a Kwami!?"

The illusionary heroes dissipated into puffs of smoke as the stranger stood, the cord of the yo-yo gone. He held his hands out and the blue, bird-like Kwami landed in his palms. "You really are as impressive as Master Fu said," he gave her a much friendlier smile, "and I, for one, am very glad to have a part in your testing."

"Testing?"

The Kwami in his hands chirped. "My name is Arguss, and this is my partner Graham – also known as Povas. We came to give you the good news, Alya: you have been chosen as the newest hero of Paris."

 **No beating around the bush in this story. We have action and mystery, drama and friendships to get to! Alya will make a great hero, just you guys wait, and she will be with the others shortly. Chapters may be posted a bit slower (same for _Bond of a Cousin_ ) but I assure you that this story is always on my mind. I will not be taking a hiatus - we will see Alya, Marinette, Adrien, Chloe and Graham fight to the finish!**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	3. Chatting, Peacock to Fox

**ONE HOUR OF EXPOSITION YOU ALREADY KNOW LATER**

Alya and Graham, now both in costume, sat atop her school as the moon shone beyond the reach of drifting clouds. "Unbelievable," she playfully punched his arm, "making the entire world go to your funeral. Does anyone other than us heroes and Master Fu know the main dancer of _Eye of Hera_ still lives?"

"I had to keep it a secret only a few people knew. My life revolves around Povas now. For a long time I even considered Graham to be a different part of myself. Ladybug and Chat Noir saw an end to that nonsense."

Alya examined her hands, now gloved by the fox suit. "Why did Master Fu choose me? Ladybug and Chat Noir and Queen Bee and you are all so courageous and strong and smart."

He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Exactly why you were chosen. Master Fu has had his eyes on you for some time now – not in a creepy sense, so stop giving me that funny look – and he felt it time to bring you into the fold. The others are going to be ecstatic. However," He gave her a wag of his finger, "your identity must remain a secret until the time is right. The same goes for the others. The only reason you get to know my identity so quickly is because my identity is always Povas, in and out of costume."

"…Can I have a moment to myself?"

He nodded and, crossing his legs, closed his eyes and fell silent. While the others were busy at school Graham had taken to meditation. It gave him peace and quiet, especially when Chloe was banging at his door, begging for another session of training.

Alya let her gaze return to the moon. She had briefly de-transformed to text Marinette, telling her that she had to stay home with the girls and would help with the banner the next day. Then Povas brought her to the school to chat. She knew everything now: the history of the Kwami, who Fu was to the heroes, the role HawkMoth chose not to play, and the three hundred year lifespan of Graham, including how he had almost lost Arguss forever.

 _This is nearly too much to take in all at once. At least Ladybug and the others had more time to digest everything. Now, though, things make sense. A lot of things make sense. It makes me feel like…like…_

Povas opened his eyes when he heard Alya sniffle, and when he glanced at her face he noticed the tears forming on her mask. She tried to wipe them off but only succeeded in getting her wrists wet. "How could I be such an idiot?" She locked eyes with him, and he knew then what made Alya so special to Master Fu.

"Marinette is Ladybug. Adrien is Chat Noir. Chloe is Queen Bee."

Her statement had thrown him way off course, and he was trying desperately to put together a response. In the meantime he scooted over and wrapped her in a hug. "My, my, petite pecan," he knew he would never grow old of the pet name he had given to the others, "you're sprung quite a leak here."

She freely cried in his arms. "How could I not see it sooner? Marinette is my best friend! Think about all the times she had to lie to get away from me so she could save the day. And Adrien is a hero! He gets to be free of his strict father now. And Chloe…her change was so drastic, there is no other answer. I know all this…I've known all this for so long, but never really accepted it for reasons…because I," she bowed her head in shame, "I was jealous." She had more to say, but it was unnecessary to speak. Povas knew.

 _I felt alone._

"How did you figure out their identities?"

Despite her tears Alya smiled. "Are you kidding? With my investigative skills it would be near impossible to hide things like that from me. At first I wanted so badly to know who was behind the masks. I wanted to be friends with the heroes. After nearly ten months, though, I began to put the pieces together."

She sat up and dried her eyes. "All the times Marinette, Adrien, and now Chloe, have had to get out of class as soon as an akuma showed up; how they seem to know everything about every akuma; how interested they are in HawkMoth; Chloe being so nice now; Marinette becoming more confident and simultaneously doing her best to deter me from learning Ladybug and Chat Noir's identities…" She let her thoughts trail off.

 _Absolutely remarkable_ , Povas thought, _for her to not only figure out their identities, but for her to feign ignorance around her best friend. Just as Master Fu figured: the new Volpina is a girl not to be messed with._

With a deep breath Alya got to her feet, Povas following suit. "Let me guess: I cannot, under any circumstances, let the others know I know their secrets? And I cannot tell them who I am? And I cannot tell them the truth about each other?"

"Until the time is right."

She tapped her chin. "Now, I would rather not be known as Volpina. What should I use as my own superhero name?"

"Your decision. Fox? Foxy? Not-the-Akumatize-Volpina?"

"Oh, because that rolls off the tongue."

"Queen Bee has a special move called 'Mind Your Own Beeswax'. Why bother rolling it off the tongue anymore?"

After a moment of thought Alya held her hand out. Povas shook it as they shared a grin. "Meet me at the passage parlour tomorrow after school. We have things to discuss with the others."

"I'll be there," she winked, "Papa Povas."

"You overheard the others at some point."

She giggled and began to skip away back home. As she leaped off to the bakery roof, she gave him a final glance.

"Vixen the fox heroine will definitely be there!"

 _Good_ , his smile slowly faded once she was out of view, _because HawkMoth, aka Mr. Agreste and Mr. Kubdel, are not nearly as patient as Master Fu. Sooner rather than later…_

 _Paris will fall._

 **I mean, if anyone is going to know who Ladybug, Chat Noir and Queen Bee are, it is definitely going to be Alya. Sometimes I watch the show and just think, "how can you not get it yet, people?!" Then again, where would the fun of mishaps with identities be if people already knew? This story, however, I chose to give Alya the credit I know she deserves: a girl whose known all along and has decided to keep it a secret for the sake of her friends.**

 **Also, Vixen is a super cool DC hero and I wanted to borrow the name to replace Volpina...that's all the logic I used XD**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	4. We Could ALL Use a Vacation

The next day Marinette and Lila walked into the school courtyard, just in time to see Alix surrounded by the rest of the class. Sabrina was sighing dreamily. "Mr. Kubdel is so lucky."

"I'll say," Nathanael added, "for him to be getting a weeklong vacation to Australia with all the perks paid for by the museum union."

As the girls stepped up beside Alix, she shrugged. "It was _supposed_ to be a vacation for dad, but he found out there was an archeological site outside the airport and decided his time would be better spent helping them excavate. Typical Kubdel stubbornness."

"Indeed," Lila whispered to Marinette and Nathanael, "not that any of us have ever been in any contact with Kubdel stubbornness." They burst into a fit of giggles as Alix gave them a look. "I mean, being stubborn is a strength, right?"

The entire class agreed, though Maylene and Rose felt a bit out of place. "I guess you and I are meant to be the un-stubborn," Rose pat her on the arm, "sort of our way of balancing out being stubborn…with being super friendly!"

Chloe chuckled and wrapped her arms around their shoulders. "You two keep us grounded, even in the worst of times. I mean, with as much fabulousness as I exude, someone had to keep me from getting too high on the horse, if you catch my drift."

Maylene giggled. "Your fabulous drift."

Marinette was more than pleased. She was absolutely thrilled at how the class had grown over the year. Lila had joined and was now dating Nathanael, her wit and charisma bringing out the best in his creativity. Chloe had survived her ordeal with anxiety and come out of the Bourgeois hotel a new person, far kinder and generous but with her regular doses of sassiness. Povas was taking more breaks in his work. Master Fu had even said something about there being a new hero joining them soon. She could hardly contain her excitement.

And then Adrien walked into the school.

 _This day just became ten-no, a hundred-no, a THOUSAND times better._

He and Nino slipped in between Kim and Max. Adrien could barely keep his eyes off Marinette. It was hard for her to look away. Nino was oblivious, however, more interested in asking Alix all about the Australia trip. "Are you going with him?"

She shook her head. "Jalil is running the museum and I have to continue at school. He promises to take me on the next trip closer to summer."

 _RING-RING-RING!_

Class was starting. The students raced up the stairs and into their seat as Miss Bustier shuffled all sorts of papers on her desk. Alya was already at her desk scrolling through her phone when Marinette sat down beside. "Did you hear about Mr. Kubdel going to Australia?" When she got no answer she read over Alya's shoulder. "Hey, why are you deleting all these photos of Ladybug and Chat Noir so suddenly?"

Finally Alya noticed that she was no long alone. "Oh, sorry about that, Marinette." She put her phone away and got her notebook out. "All those photos were terrible."

"I think they looked pretty good."

"No offense," she nudged her shoulder, "but you have a gift with clothing, not photography. Let me decide what is and is not blurry."

Marinette gave a mocking gasp before they broke into laughter. "Alright, girls," Miss Bustier said as the class settled down, "you can continue your conversation afterwards."

"Yes, Miss Bustier."

The class got to the lecture right away, but Alya had her mind on other things.

 _That was way too close! If Marinette had really know why I was deleting those photos, we would have quite the awkward conversation. All those photos were too close to revealing the identities of her and Chat Noir._

Her eyes went from Marinette, to Adrien, to Chloe, and to her own chest, where the fox pendant was hidden beneath her shirt.

 _Wearing the miraculous around so soon after Lila wore hers and became Volpina? Not a smart move. People would be asking too many questions. For now I need to wear it in secret. I really wish we could all let one another know the truth_ , she sighed, doodling on the edges of her book, _but for now we each have to awkwardly pretend we aren't connected to superheroes. When the time does come, though…we will all be willing to admit we lied?_

* * *

"Are you sure about this, father?"

Mr. Kubdel gave Jalil his best smile, the same smile he had given his own late wife on the day of their wedding. It was his way of showing absolute trust in those around him. The father and son stood in his private office a floor above the art collection, Mr. Kubdel gathering the last of his books into a suitcase on the desk. "I know you have what it takes to properly keep our museum going while I'm away. Have more faith in your knowledge and experience, Jalil, and nothing can stop you from succeeding."

Jalil smiled back. "Then I should start getting preparations ready!" He ran out of the office with a clipboard in hand. Once he was alone Mr. Kubdel silently shut the door and let his smile melt to a sneer. "Get out here, Nooroo."

The butterfly Kwami popped out of the brooch hidden under his scarf. "I do not understand. Why are you going to Australia?"

"You fool!"

Nooroo shivered at the sound of his anger. "I-I-I just want to know why."

"I am not going anywhere." Mr. Kubdel wandered back to his desk and opened the suitcase. "All I need is for people to _think_ I am leaving. I need time alone. I need people off my back." He let his fingers rub the brooch. "Time is of the essence."

Nooroo cautiously fluttered closer to Mr. Kubdel. "What happens now?"

"Now?" Mr. Kubdel was back to sneering.

"Now HawkMoth begins preparations for the resurrection of his true love."

 **Dun-dun-dun-DUN! HawkMoth is on the move, people, HawkMoth is on the MOVE! I want this story to be quick paced and not dawdle like my usual writing does. Things are going to happen - bang, bang, BANG - and our heroes will have to keep up if they want to ever find out the secret to HawkMoth and his plans for the city of Paris...and their miraculous.**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	5. Wow Does Chloe Ship It

School was over much faster than Adrien had anticipated, mainly because he had spent little to no time focusing on the actual lessons. Every time Marinette let out a breath, every time she was distracted by a hair on her arm, every time she looked his way and smiled, he felt his heart about to burst.

 _This is not normal. I can barely think here without wanting to know what Marinette is doing or pondering. If I tell anyone I may end up embarrassing the both of us. Who wants to have a model crushing on them?_

As the class filed out of the room Nino put a hand on his arm. "You okay, dude? Seems you were major distant the entire day. That science report got you down?"

"Sort of…Nino, can we talk?"

"About anything, buddy." He guided Adrien down the stairs and to the bench. Once they were seated they watched the rest of the class and students disperse. Adrien plopped his laptop bag on the ground beside him and sighed. "Do you remember when you thought you had a crush on the wrong girl?"

Nino chuckled. "You mean when I went to the zoo to try and woo Marinette? How could I ever forget? I was locked in a cage with Alya most of the day."

"Was it that long?"

"Felt that way with how awkward it was at first. Once we started talking, though, things went by quickly, and before we knew it we were free and the animals were back in their cages. Why, you have a hampering for a trip to the zoo?"

"Not exactly."

Chloe skipped down the steps. "Hey, you two," she sat next to Adrien, "did you notice if Sabrina and Juleka passed by?"

"Dude, those two were out before the bell finished ringing. Guess they had some serious plans to get to before the sun went down."

"Of course," she winked, "plans. Plans not involving Ms. Bourgeois. Plans they need to keep out of her sights. Got it, loud and clear."

"Aw, come on, Chloe, let the surprise party stay a surprise. I know you always seem to know just when we have something planned for you, but you gotta wait for this. The girls have gone all out this year, especially now that you've become so nice."

 _A birthday…CHLOE HAS A BIRTHDAY IN A WEEK!_

He had been so busy worrying about Marinette and Ladybug that he had forgotten about getting her a present. He would have to go out with Natalie for a round of shopping. He never knew how to choose the right gift. The previous year his gift had been a collection of rainbow nail polish. He had been ready to buy her a basketball until Natalie showed him the light. Chloe was acting like a real friend now, too, so his gift would have to be perfect.

"I can play the ignorant princess," Chloe winked again before standing, "or should I say, play an ignorant queen. Sixteen is a milestone that will turn me into a young woman."

"I thought you already were a young woman."

"Puh- _lease_. Fifteen is the age of a child, but sixteen is the beginning of womanhood!" Only once she had finished did she note the frown on Adrien. "Do you not agree?"

"What?" He gave his head a quick shake. "Sorry, my mind has been otherwise occupied." He could see her pouting. "Not that I haven't been thinking about your birthday!"

"Well yes, that is good," she sat back down and hugged him, "but you do not get to keep your worries from me, Adrien! If you're having a hard time coming up with a gift you should talk to some of the girls. Ask Lila or Alya or Marinette what they think."

"…Yes," Adrien leaped up with newfound energy, "that could work!" He gave Chloe a quick hug, Nino a high five, and ran out of the school with a wave. "You always know just what to say, Chloe!"

Nino took his turn to pout. "What about me?"

Chloe could only laugh at his attempt to stick his bottom lip out. "Leave the dramatics to me." It was beyond clear to her what was going on, at least.

 _Watch out, Marinette, because a whirlwind is coming your way._

Adrien left the others and raced across the street to the Dupain-Cheng bakery. He saw Marinette through the windows and burst inside. "Wait, Marinette!"

She turned and gawked. "Adrien! Is something wrong?" She looked to her parents behind the register for help, but they were equally confused by his sudden appearance. "I didn't forget any of my books in class again, right?"

"No, no." He caught his breath and rubbed the back of his head. "I was only wondering if you would help me out. Chloe's birthday is next week and I still have to get her a gift. If it isn't too much trouble…would you like to come along and help me pick out something for her? I need a girl's perspective."

Marinette let her jaw drop. "Y-You want to go s-shopping with m-m-me?!"

"If you wouldn't mind."

Luckily Mrs. Dupain-Cheng saved the day. "She would love to. How about you two set out on the weekend and look around the shops."

Adrien nodded with relief. "Wonderful. I'll have Natalie drop me off here on Saturday." He held his hand out to shake. "Until then-er, tomorrow, in class, I mean."

Marinette awkwardly shook it. "U-Until then."

Adrien stood for a moment before leaving and catching a ride with Chloe. Marinette turned past her parents, who were giggling at the scene, and up the stairs to the apartment. Once she had the door shut behind her Tikki flew into the open. "Uh, what just happened, Marinette? Was it just me, or did Adrien just-"

"Yes," Marinette squealed so loud Tikki had to cover her ears, "Adrien just really asked me to go shopping with him!"

 _I got that part_ , Tikki thought as Marinette hyperventilated, _but he seemed…anxious. Anxious and nervous…I wonder why he suddenly brought this up._

 **So, as I previously mentioned near the end of "Dance of the Empress", Adrien is having a hard time deciding between his feelings for his fellow student, or his feelings for his fellow superhero. Who should he focus more on? What about the future? Poor boy is finally going to be in Marinette's shoes when it comes to crushes - the one with the mask or behind the mask? Oh if only the two of them knew.**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	6. The Determined Detective

Alya knew where the massage parlor was, but she was having far too much fun taking her time along the sidewalks. Trixx clung to the back of her phone like a fancy case, giggling as Alya told her all sorts of stories about school and akuma attacks. Someone had to bring the Kwami up to date. She had spent most time napping in the Victrola.

"Nino started throwing adults into big bubbles and letting them float into space! My parents told me they were this close to leaving the atmosphere when a gathering of sparkly ladybugs brought them all back home."

"How terrifying," Trixx had a way of adding a slight purr to the end of her sentences, "and yet so exciting at the same time!"

"My poor siblings back home were crying and wailing the whole while. Luckily our next door neighbour was ten and came by to watch them. Bubbler found me outside the school, picked me up, and carried me to the party for Adrien."

"Bridal carry?"

Alya blushed. It was true. It _had_ been a bridal carry. She had even enjoyed it despite how funny poor Nino looked while akumatized. And ever since they spent time in the cage at the zoo… "So what if it _was_ a bridal carry?"

" _So what_?! Even while he was akumatized and obsessed with throwing a party for his best friend he carried you like his princess!"

 _His princess…kind of sounds nice…a princess that investigates mysteries. Like Nancy Drew and the gang!_

The massage parlor was coming up on the next block. "This is still so insane," Alya said as they kept to the shadows of the trees along the sidewalk, "meeting your master and learning so much more about Kwami and superheroes. Are you sure you never got to see you-know-who as Chat Noir or Ladybug?"

"Sorry. I was storing up power while sleeping."

Honestly, Alya knew she had no right to be annoyed with Marinette or Adrien or Chloe, or even Graham. Still, knowing that her friends were superheroes and hiding the fact, never truly being sure if it was true or not, having only basic assumptions and minor evidence?

 _Wonder how Marinette feels every time she has to lie to me to keep her secret. Wonder how Nino feels every Adrien lies to him, or Sabrina with Chloe…_

She stopped just outside the building door.

 _I have to start lying. I have to lie to all five of them._

Trixx recognized the expression Alya had. She snuggled her nose against her fingers. "You are not the first heroine in history to be afraid of hiding your identity. Ladybug and the others share the same pain you do. I wish it was different, but to keep you and your family safe, I'm afraid it takes a lie to protect us."

She gave the Kwami a smirk and entered the building. "I suppose you being a fox mean that lies are just fine."

Trixx let the phone go and hovered around her head as they wandered down the halls. "Lying and trickery are two different things. I am a lady and enjoy the finer things in life: practical jokes and whatnot. Lying is hard to judge, never black and white."

Alya found the right door and gave a knock. "Never met a lady who enjoyed playing tricks on others. You sure you know what a lady is?"

"I have been alive since the first ever illusion occurred, the first mirage on earth. Trickery is not only a part of feminine presence, it is vital."

"Are all Kwami as odd as you?"

"Oh, they wish."

Master Fu opened the door and looked Alya over with a smile. "You have finally arrived, hero of the fox miraculous." He led her inside; Graham sat on a mat with Arguss and Wayzz, sipping tea. "Time is of the essence."

Alya sat down beside Graham as he put his cup on the small table in the middle. Beside it laid a big book. "No one saw you coming?"

Trixx sat on the edge of his teacup, spinning her paw in the tea. "She is my chosen. There is no one she cannot sneak away from. There is no situation she cannot sneak her way out of. There is no-"

Wayzz sighed. "Point made, Trixx."

Master Fu sat across from the duo as the Kwami nibbled on recently baked cookies. He grabbed the big book and flipped it open to the fox heroine page. Alya was surprised at how similar she looked to Lila.

 _Maybe she really IS the ancestor of the original Volpina._

"As your classmate Lila found out, Volpina uses a long flute to fight, and her powers are based on the strength of illusions and deceit."

"What about the others?"

He flipped to Ladybug, Chat Noir, Queen Bee and Povas respectively. "Each Kwami is based on some fundamental concept. Our gathering of heroes are a representation of illusions, creation, destruction, maternity and immortality."

"I represent longevity," Wayzz added, "and Nooroo represents bestowment."

Alya crossed her arms as Fu turned to the page about the butterfly miraculous. It was unspecified what species Nooroo was; he was a Kwami based on the species as a whole rather than a certain type. She had seen Fu flip past a page about the monarch and birdwing. "Sorry if I sound drastic, but the idea of HawkMoth being a good guy sounds wrong."

Graham pointed to the staff on the page. "Nooroo is kind. It is whoever holds the miraculous that decides whether the power is good or evil."

She gazed at the expression of the man on the page. "…We need to find him."

"I wish Graham could tell you what he learned," Arguss explained as Trixx swallowed a cookie whole, "but if he reveals anything he sees through his feathers he feels immense pain. Such is the price of immortality."

Alya stood and pumped her fist against her chest, "I won't need feathers. All I need is my camera and clues to follow. I _will_ find out who HawkMoth is."

 **Detective Alya is on the case! When she begins her investigation no one can stand in her way! Also, while coming up with the personality for Trixx, I wanted something sort of motherly like Huneyy and Arguss, but also a free spirit who enjoyed the FINER things in life...like jokes. And do not worry, Vixen will have her time to shine in battle. I just need to sort a few things out in these next few chapters...**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	7. Investigator Out, Flirt In

Graham stared at Alya as she began scrolling through her phone. "How do you plan on finding out his identity when no one else has any clue? Beyond what I've seen in my feathers, that is, but that isn't an option."

"What you've already seen may not be an option," she winked, "but as long as I hang out around you I'm sure to find the truth, right?" She noted his confusion. "Think about it! You've been in contact with HawkMoth. All I need to do is follow you and not be seen by them. Then I can film the truth on my camera and show Ladybug and the others."

Graham rose his hand to object, finding such an option too dangerous, but Arguss flew in front of him and wagged her own hand. "If you can trust Alya with the fox miraculous, then you can trust her to help find HawkMoth. What other choice do you have?"

Master Fu nodded. "I would never ask you two to do something so dangerous if we had another choice. Unfortunately, HawkMoth has left us with little time. I sense a great disturbance coming to Paris."

 _As much as I hate to admit it_ , Graham sighed, _Master Fu is right. We have no time left. If what I overheard at the museum is correct, Mr. Kubdel is leaving for "vacation" soon. No doubt this is the time he and Mr. Agreste will be putting some big plan into action. Besides, Alya has survived multiple encounters with akuma. Who else could work?_

Trixx hovered over to Alya. "Perhaps we could pull out a few tricks here and there?" Her ears wiggled in anticipation. "Oh, the ways we could perform distractions is endless. Howling at the moon at midnight, placing secret ingredients into coffee grains, ominous calls: I can show you many things in the world of trickery, my girl."

Graham coughed into his sleeve. "Uh, let's put ominous calls on the backburner, shall we?" He tried to ignore the look Alya was giving him. "…I was desperate, okay?!"

"Remember, you two," Wayzz warned them as Alya stood, "Fu has never been wrong when it comes to disturbances."

Alya and Trixx shared a grin. "Nothing we can't handle. Right, Graham?"

Graham remained seated to talk to Fu afterwards, but he gave her a nod and shook her hand when she offered it. "I suppose this makes the two of us investigative partners. When should we meet up, Sherlock?"

"I'm thinking a visit to…," she tried to read his expression for clues, already on the case, "…the museum?"

"How did you…yes," he was surprised by her intuition, "that would be find. Tomorrow after the school day is done."

 _I knew it_ , Alya though to herself as she and Trixx left the massage parlor with more information that she ever thought she could gather. _The museum seems to be at the center of it all. Something about that building and the people inside is vital to this mystery._

Trixx clung back to the phone as they neared the building door. "I hope talking to Master Fu and Povas has cleared up a few things."

"Enough for me to work with." Sure, she still had questions, and she was still nervous, but now was not the time to worry about herself.

 _Chloe. Adrien. Marinette…I promise, I will get to the bottom of this. I promise HawkMoth will be found before he can hurt anyone else. Then maybe…maybe we can stop lying._

* * *

Graham finished of his tea as Wayzz and Arguss snored together on the table. Master Fu had put the book back and now sat across from him again with a warm smile. "You have truly grown."

"?"

He chuckled. "I know it will be hard for you to understand or see yourself, but for the few weeks you have been in Paris, working with our young heroes, you have changed…for the better. Much better than when you were alone and lost."

"I was never lost. Not really." Graham found himself twiddling his thumbs. Another habit he had to overcome. "I just had a hard time tracking you down."

"Either way, I am glad to have you and Arguss back, safe and sound."

"…Am I?" His gaze fell to the peacock brooch, the one he had Adrien steal back for him from Mr. Agreste's secret vault. "Two hundred and ninety years I've been the peacock hero. Sooner or later…"

"You will have to give it up and move on. Live a normal life. Become a citizen again. Perhaps a French citizen?"

Graham nearly gave his Master a pout. "What is it with you people and bothering me about you know who?"

Master Fu had no time to respond before the massage parlor door burst open. Chloe Bourgeois strut in with Huneyy at her side. As the door shut behind her the Kwami flew down to the table. "Chloe wished to come by and speak to you two."

Graham caught Fu giving him an impish grin.

 _Honestly, which one of us is acting like the young man here?_

Chloe sat down right next to Graham and put a hand on his arm. "I wanted to make sure you were feeling okay. I haven't seen you at the hotel in days!" She placed her palm on his forehead. "Do you have a cold? Fever?! Are you dying?!"

Fu chuckled again. "It is wonderful to see you worrying about others."

"Of course! Ever since he told me everything he's been through, and introduced me to you, how can I not worry about him?"

Huneyy nuzzled in beside Wayzz and Arguss, eyelids heavy with sleep. "The training has also been a huge help. Chloe is a natural bee heroine."

Chloe whipped her pigtail back. "Naturally."

 _She may be a great heroine_ , Graham kept his feelings to himself as she leaned against him, _but I still have a hard time dealing with the truth. After two hundred and ninety years, I can see the signs._

 _Chloe Bourgeois has a crush on Povas._

 _Aka, me._

 **Ah, poor Graham, having to fight off the unending love of a Bourgeois. I hinted at her feelings for him in the previous story, "Dance of the Empress", but I wanted to make it clear in this story that it is strictly one sided. Graham does not have a crush on Chloe: she is fifteen and he is over three hundred years old. However, this will make how he deals with her feelings a tad bit hard, especially when he cannot tell any of the other heroes the truth yet...**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	8. Rejecting Possible Rejection

Graham blamed himself. At first, feeling guilt for how he scared her into being nice, he treated her differently than Ladybug and Chat Noir. He would not call her "petite pecan" because he thought she would take it the wrong now. Now, sitting across from a chuckling Master Fu, with Chloe leaning on his shoulder, he realized his mistake. This is what Arguss was making fun of him for the past few weeks.

 _Chloe thinks I treat her differently because…because…,_ his moan grew into a tired sigh, _she now thinks I like her back._

Master Fu was kind enough to save him from any further, awkward flirting on her part. "Though your training has greatly improved your teamwork with Povas, you still require time with Chat Noir and Ladybug before mastering your powers. Only when you can adapt to any other hero's powers can you consider your training complete."

Chloe sat straight up and put her hand to her chest with such conviction, Graham was afraid she was feeling heart pains. "Of course I intend to train with Ladybug and Chat Noir, until we finally defeat HawkMoth once and for all!" She glanced at Huneyy. "Maybe we should get back out and create new akuma, hm?"

"C-Chloe!"

"Oh, I was only kidding, Huneyy! Honestly, we need to improve your sense of humour."

"O-Oh," she sighed with relief, "of course, darling."

She got to her feet and opened the door, but not before glancing back at Graham. "I do hope you feel better." She really meant it, too, having mastered genuine care for others since her dreams returned to normal. "We should train again soon…with the others, too."

Graham only relaxed once she was gone and the door was shut again. Wayzz and Arguss woke up once Huneyy was no longer present. "Aw," Wayzz grumbled, "and she has such soft fur for napping on, too."

Master Fu noticed Graham twiddling his thumbs again. "At some point you will have to tell her the truth. Chloe should know how you really feel about her."

"I will! I just…I never want to hurt their feelings."

"You know they have no reason to push you away."

"…HawkMoth gives me purpose." He looked up at Fu to find the Master actually giving him an understanding gaze. "I found you and now we have a villain to defeat. Once we win, however, I end up with nothing else to do. The others – Marinette, Adrien, Chloe, and Alya – they get to go back to school and their friends and family." He felt his fingers brushing against the brooch. "I gave up my family a long, long time ago. Without the brooch and Arguss and Povas, everything I've done the past three hundred years feels…useless. I feel useless."

Fu stood and walked over beside Graham to place a hand on his shoulder. "At the moment, yes, you may feel your time is ending. When the time comes for the end of HawkMoth, however, you may be surprised at what opportunities open up for you."

Graham smirked, though Arguss and Wayzz could recognize the worry in it. "Opportunities for me…or Povas?"

* * *

Chloe strolled along with a whistle on her lips. Huneyy hung around inside her purse as she came up to the bridge, leading to the bakery and school across the water. She saw Marinette and Alya on the balcony atop the bakery, nattering away as they always did. She saw Nino and Nathanael in front of the school, heading off somewhere while deep in conversation. She spotted Rose and Maylene in the park, riding the merry-go-round as Juleka and Ivan played cards. Overall the day was turning out to be quite positive.

 _Especially since I got to see Graham again!_

Feelings were now a curious thing to her. Up until a few weeks before she had only had eyes for Adrien. Then she had become Queen Bee and met Povas, and he told her the truth, and now she only had eyes for him. She opened her purse and peeked in at Huneyy. "Have you ever fallen in love with someone? A hero or Kwami?"

"A few hundred years ago I did have strong feelings for the chose hero of the butterfly. He was such a handsome fellow with a kind heart. Unfortunately it was not to be," she shrugged, "and I was able to overcome it with the help of my chosen. Why do you ask, darling, unless…ah," she giggled, "you want advice for talking to Povas?"

"I-I am not that obvious! You read my mind, is all."

"Of course, dear. However," she poked her head out, "have you thought to perhaps ask Graham how he feels about you?"

"Why should I bother? I already know how he feels." Before Huneyy could say anything more Chloe shut the purse, cutting the Kwami off. She continued her walk back to the hotel to meet up with Sabrina.

 _I will not be asking him how he feels_ , she decided then and there with a terrible fear shivering her to the bone, _because…I'm afraid of what he may say. Bourgeois' do not take rejection well, as I have come to prove again and again…_

* * *

The evening came and went, and come the next day after school the class separated. Marinette had work at home and Adrien was in a fluster over how to hang out with her the next day while shopping. Nino and Nathanael were making a small comic book together, Chloe and Sabrina had charm bracelets to create, and so Alya was on her own on the walk to the museum to meet with Graham. Trixx was once again upon her phone, suggesting many a trick to help with the mission of finding HawkMoth.

"How about we teepee the museum with film strips to really scare him out of hiding?"

Alya rolled her eyes. She was clearly gifted with an unprofessional Kwami. Teepee was not in her plans for investigation. "Follow my lead, Trixx, and sooner or later," she gazed forward at the museum ahead, "HawkMoth will fall right into our hands."

 **Poor old Chloe, dealing with the chance of rejection through denial. Never had any personal experience with something like this myself, but I can certainly guess how it would feel to not know if someone truly loves you the way you love them. Sooner or later, though, the truth will come out, whether Queen Bee and Povas want it or not...oh, and Alya is totally on the case of HawkMoth :D**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	9. Sensor Sends a Farewell

Graham had told Alya to meet him at the museum after school, but she had no idea whether he would be inside or out. She looked around at the entrance and, finding no signs of him, entered the foyer. People passed by without a glance her way. Trixx peeked around. "I wish Graham had at the very least given you a clue as to where to find him."

"Yeah…"

 _Unless he was hiding from someone else._

Moving to the back of the foyer she held her phone up, pretending to film the experience; Trixx continued to cling to the back of the phone as the camera zoomed in and out under her arm. "I should be able to make out his features somewhere around here." She saw a couple fellow girls walking around, a few couples striding in, and a group of children racing in front of their parents, and a young man with dark brown hair and sunglasses on standing by the tourist desk-

 _Hold up._

The mysterious young man wore a checkered shirt and white denims, gazing around as he blew long bangs from his lenses. Alya zoomed in on his shirt pocket, where the tip of something blue and rounded could be seen. She put her phone down and gave Trixx a smirk. "Bingo. I think we just found our Watson."

Graham was more than glad to have company as Alya walked up beside. "Glad I finally found you," she took his arm and led him down the hall, "so now we can start exploring all these cool exhibits, right?"

"Wherever you want to start is fine with me." He led the way as though to shield her from what was to come.

 _He really is nervous here. He may not be able to tell me anything about HawkMoth because of the rules of his feathers as Povas, but this is enough of a hint to tell me one thing for sure._

 _HawkMoth has something to do with the museum._

* * *

Natalie placed an envelope on Adrien's desk while he worked on the computer. Once she left he quickly ripped it open and unfolded the letter. It had come from an acquaintance in Toronto that he had been hoping to hear from for weeks.

 _Dear Adrien Agreste,_

 _Greetings from Toronto during this fine school term! Gosh that sounds lame. I wish I still had the coolness I once had while being a thief with superpowers. Ah, well. Mom and dad would hate to see my talents go to waste in a prison cell. Everyone here at home is more than happy to see me once again working with the acrobatic team. After all you and your late mother did for me it was the least I could try, and honestly, I feel better flinging myself and my friends through the air while performing daring stunts for money._

 _As you requested, I have hidden away the Tibetan guide Mrs. Agreste wrote, and that includes the details about the temple she…well, where I got my powers. Only my friend here, the one who is obsessed with curses and ghosts and stuff, knows the truth, and I intend to keep it that way. So, if you could just not tell anyone about me being a freak? Great, thanks._

 _Say hi to Povas/Graham for me, and be sure to keep in touch. Who knows when I may need a few connections up your way again?_

 _Yours truly (oh wow that is so lame but I wrote this in pen and am too lazy to erase or scribble out),_

 _Sensor_

 _P.S Nah, just kidding. The name is Joey. Joseph for short…don't ask._

Adrien chuckled to himself as Plagg appeared from under the bed. He put the letter in a drawer and leaned back. "Someday I'll have to tell father that I know the truth about mother."

"How will that go down?"

"…Uh, you know what? I'll leave that until a farther away someday."

"Figured. Could a sooner someday have camembert in it?"

Adrien sighed and returned to the computer. He was scrolling through pages upon pages of online shops, looking for the perfect gift for Chloe. He had asked Marinette to come along on the shopping trip, but he hardly wanted to look like he knew nothing about his friend. After all, he had known Chloe since they were children. This gift would have to be perfect. Something that would make this birthday the best one yet.

 _I also have to mentally prepare myself for hours alone with Marinette…ugh_ , he willingly went about smacking his forehead on the desk over and over, startling Plagg, _since when have I been so nervous around Marinette of all people?! No one in Paris is easier to get along with…save for Rose, but even Marinette would agree with me there. Oh, why, why, WHY do I suddenly feel the need to stammer around her?! Why am I suddenly unable to look her in the eyes?! Why do I have the same feelings for her as I do…as I do Ladybug?_

* * *

Marinette had just finished her homework when Tikki flew up out of bed and landed on the desk next to her pencil. "Excited to go shopping with Adrien tomorrow?"

"You know it! Glad mom came to the rescue, because my tongue was way tied when he asked. I still have a hard time believing he wants me along, of all people!"

Tikki shook her head. "I don't have a hard time believing it, and neither would anyone else."

Marinette looked at her with such ignorance it nearly brought Tikki to tears. "Do you really think so?"

"Of course I do."

Marinette returned to her sketchbooks with a silly grin on her face. Tikki watched her work on all her latest drawings.

 _Marinette Dupain-Cheng…something in the air of Paris is changing. Shifting. First Povas and then Queen Bee and now Adrien and then…then this strange feeling I have. As though Nooroo were trying to call out to me. As though…_

 _Danger was imminent._

 **Sorry this was posted late, but I woke up at the wrong time and had to rush to class. I wanted to tie up the loose end that is Sensor from the previous story, so now you all know that things are just swell with him back in Canada! As for Alya and Graham, their investigation is only beginning. What can they show and find that will lead to the truth?**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	10. The Feathery Truth

Alya and a disguised Graham took their time looking from exhibit to exhibit. Arguss and Trixx clung to the back of her phone like a strange double case. Any corner, any person, any picture or statue or structure could be a clue. Alya was glad her phone was fully charged for how long she was recording. She wanted video to look over when she got home in case she missed something important. "Better that you decide where we go first, Graham."

He led them to the art section where the Mona Lisa hung. Alya had always been surprised by how small it is in real life. They stopped and sat down at a bench as people passed by, eyes fixed on the paintings. She paused her video and glanced at him. "Mind telling me how feather cameras actually work?"

"Every miraculous has certain limitations that can cost the users greatly if they break them." He pointed at the spot where her necklace was hidden beneath her shirt. "Volpina-er, Vixen, cannot fall for her own illusions; believe me, it has happened. If you do then you end up losing control of your senses for up to an entire day."

"Scary."

"The same goes for the others. If Ladybug uses her powers for greedy purposes she is forced out of her costume within seconds. If Queen Bee uses her whip on allies then it rebounds and ends up wrapping her up instead."

"What would the price be for telling me what you saw in the feathers?"

Arguss gave them a wave and Alya pulled the phone closer. "If Povas reveals the secrets found through the feathers, then he loses his sight."

"For how long?"

"For some…," Arguss looked to Trixx, "forever."

Alya gasped but had to stifle it when people glanced their way. Graham gave her a sad smile. "I lost my sight while fighting Sensor, but that was only for a few minutes. To lose it forever, out of nowhere…how would I fight?"

 _Now I get it_ , Alya gave him a more confident smile, _and I would definitely do the same. Losing my sight is too great a price for clues. I can find HawkMoth without risking the health of any other heroes…?_

Jalil Kubdel was walking up their way with Alix at his side. They were looking over brochures and discussing plans for a new exhibit. As they passed Alya gave a wave, getting a shot of the siblings as they lost themselves in their work. "Looks like those two will be plenty busy next week while Mr. Kubdel is away." She turned back to Graham and was surprised to find him not sharing in the moment. In fact, he looked a bit put off by the duo. "Whoa. Did something happen between you and Jalil?"

 _Could Jalil be HawkMoth? No, because he was akumatized and HawkMoth was speaking to him while he was took me hostage as the Pharaoh._

Trixx looked Alix over. "I doubt your friend there is HawkMoth. From what you told me she had also been akumatized and spoken to."

"Come on," Graham had them stand and move on from the art exhibit, "we still have exhibits to examine before the museum closes."

And examine they did, until the museum was about to close. Alya scaled the entire building from the inside out until they had to leave with the rest of the patrons. "I'll be sure to mull over what we filmed later," she promised Graham as they exited the museum, evening setting in, "and then we can talk with the others about what to do next."

 _Working alongside Ladybug and the others…well, working alongside Marinette and the others._

Graham stopped and looked back through the doors. "…"

"Did we miss something?"

"Afraid he cannot say," Arguss replied, "but I know you can figure this out, Alya. After all, our Master chose you for your intelligence and investigative skills."

Alya blushed but tried in vain to hide it. "No pressure or anything." She gave Graham a shake of the hand and ran off to catch a bus. "See you guys soon!"

Once she was gone Graham sighed and leaned against the museum doors as they were locked from the inside. Arguss hung around his shoulder, out of view. "Do you think she can figure out what we know?"

"She has to, or all of this is for naught."

"I believe in her."

He smiled. "I do, too. Say, think you can keep an eye on her while she heads home?"

"What about you?"

"I gotta walk home on my own and clear my thoughts out."

Arguss gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You be careful." She flew off to follow the bus as it took Alya away. Graham walked down the museum steps and looked around the now vacant lot. He had not walked on his own in a long while.

 _Time to figure things out._

"Excuse me?"

Jalil Kubdel was walking over with arms full of papers. He looked as though he wanted to shake hands but he was too busy trying to lose all his papers. "I saw you and Alya walking around all day today. I do hope you'll come back next week."

Graham smiled and nodded. "Of course. I hear you intend to run the place for a while?"

"Just until father comes back." He looked up at the entrance and Graham followed his gaze. "At least I know the ins and outs now. Even the secret vaults."

"Secret vaults?"

Jalil laughed. "Well, not too secret as they are inaccessible to the public. We store away art we have yet to unveil in an exhibit. My father just gave me the keys."

"Congratulations."

"Thank you. Now, I must get home and sort through all of this," he walked away to the nearest building by the museum, "but I do hope you come again!" When he was out of sight Graham returned his gaze to the entrance.

 _Secret vaults. There really is more to this museum than meets the eye…_

 **And so the price of the feathers is revealed. I wanted some sort of limitation like the one Ladybug has, so I tried my best to make them severe but not impossible to follow, and they had to somewhat match the personalities of the heroes. Now we just have to hope that Alya can put the pieces together and get to the bottom of this HawkMoth mystery before he strikes again!**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	11. A Night In Paris

That night was quiet all over Paris. Graham walked home and hung out with Arguss, Huneyy and Chloe in his room. She was nervous around him half the time, and the other time she was unable to keep from giving him a huge hug. Arguss and Huneyy were also unable to hide their laughter. Graham rolled his eyes at their merriment.

 _Just which of us is the oldest?_

Chloe never took her eyes off Graham as they sat on the couch in his private room and took turns playing Twenty Questions with the Kwami. She adored the way he laughed at the answers, the way he smiled even when he was wrong, the way he brushed his bangs back, the way he eagerly cheered her on-

 _Is there anything about this man I could ever not adore?_

Not too far from the Bourgeois Hotel, Adrien was in his room with a list of possible gifts for the birthday party next week. He and Plagg went over each item so carefully, the Kwami was sure he had each possibility memorized. Adrien hoped so.

 _Now for breathing exercises. The last thing anyone needs is me hyperventilating while shopping with Marinette._

Speaking on the phone not two hallways out of hearing range, Gabriel Agreste spoke to Kubdel about their plans for the following week. Things were rushing forward so fast he feared he would be left behind. Then he look a long look at a photo of his wife. He nodded to himself and spoke to Kubdel with eager conviction.

 _Anything for you._

Down the way was the Césaire residence, where Alya was busy in her room looking over every second of footage she had taken at the museum. Trixx picked out tiny details she missed as she grew tired, the hours blending into one another. She knew she was onto something. Something about the way Graham reacted to seeing the Kubdel siblings.

 _Just a few more minutes and I can crack this case wide open!_

Heading further down the District was the Dupain-Cheng bakery and home, where Marinette sat at her desk with a collection of hair clips arranged before her and Tikki. She wanted to look her very best while out with Adrien the next morning. She had a few ideas of her own as to what she could help Adrien pick out for Chloe.

 _I already made her a gift and I hope she appreciates it…note to self: maybe add some more pink and purple sparkles._

Beyond the heroes sat Master Fu in his apartment above the massage parlor, sharing a cup of tea with Wayzz as they discussed the future of Ladybug, Chat Noir, Vixen, Queen Bee and Povas. It was coming time for things to change.

 _And not just for HawkMoth._

All the way over at the museum, Alix sat at the edge of her bedroom window and watched doves flying off to sleep somewhere in the midst of the city. She had really hoped to be going along with her father to Australia, but she knew he could take her next time. She would do her best to help Jalil take care of the museum while he was away.

 _This could be fun in its own way._

A few streets away was the home of the Rossi family, where Lila and Nathanael remained quiet on the front steps for a few moments. Then she kissed him and he walked away with a big smile plastered on his face. She leaned against the doorframe. They were going to buy a gift for Chloe together the day before her birthday party.

 _I cannot wait for next week._

All across the District the classmates of Lila were either resting up for Saturday or working on their homework and gifts. Ivan and Maylene talked late into the night about their baked goods. Max and Kim were planning the sweetest dance off for the party with the help of Nino and his stellar music. Rose and Juleka slept over at her house and chatted about the possibility of any magical encounters at the party. Rose was a glass half full that night.

 _I just know something is going to blow us all away that day!_

Across the water in the country of Canada, a young acrobat laid on his bed, staring at a letter he had received from his friend in Paris. He could hear his mother listening to the news downstairs. Something about Australia airports being jammed for the next few weeks. The acrobatic team would have to postpone its trip.

 _Wonder if Paris would be a good backup._

And then, by three in the morning, all of them were fast asleep, resting and dreaming. The only ones to remain awake were the Kwami, all staring out at the same moon without being able to speak to one another.

Tikki kept thinking about the way Adrien was treating Marinette. He was still kind and friendly, but something about the way he looked at her was different.

 _Could it be that Adrien…are his feelings… changing?_

Plagg was trying to fight off his hunger by listening to Adrien snore. Despite how strict Gabriel was he felt safe. He felt that Adrien was safe.

 _Not much else to need at this moment…well, maybe a tiny bit of camembert._

Wayzz watched Master Fu sleep before returning his gaze to the outside world. Knowing that Graham and Arguss were safe and sound, and making friends with the other heroes, relaxed his worries for the night.

 _Even with trouble brewing on the horizon._

Nooroo sat alone in the small office connected to the bedroom of Kubdel. He was alone. He was afraid. He was unable to stop them.

 _Please hurry, you guys, and come save me, before…_

Trixx resisted the urge to dip Alya's hand in a bowl of warm water while she slept.

 _Such a lovely partner._

Huneyy pulled a few loose bangs out of Chloe's face as she turned over in bed.

 _Such a darling._

Arguss nestled in beside Graham on his pillow and shut her eyes.

 _Such a peaceful night._

 _Hope the next week remains as pleasant…_

 **This was basically a summary chapter to let you guys - and myself - catch up with everything the characters are doing and planning for, as well as getting inside their heads and learning how they feel about one another. Things are going to be taken a little bit slow these next few chapters, but trust me, as soon as the next few events are through, things are going to be speeding by very, VERY fast!**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	12. Shop Til You Drop - In for Spagetti

The day of shopping arrived. Marinette was waiting outside the bakery for Adrien to pull up in his limousine and whisk her away to the most expensive stores in all of Paris. Tikki hung out in her purse while people passed in and out of the doors with all their baked goods. The air became scented with bread and icing. It was the sort of day where nothing could go wrong. Marinette had to pinch herself to make sure it was no longer a dream.

 _All day I get to spend time with Adrien. This is better than going to a concert with him. This is better than dancing with him at a party. This is an ENTIRE DAY helping him pick out a gift for Chloe! I have so many ideas!_

Finally the limousine arrived. The back door opened for her to slip inside beside Adrien, whose smile was ear to ear. As soon as she shut the door they were off. "I really can't thank you enough for coming with me today, Marinette." His cheeks were going rose. "Every time I try to buy her a gift I end up picking something too boyish for her standards."

Marinette giggled. "Chloe certainly has high standards, but what else can we expect from our classroom princess?"

They shared a laugh over the thought of Chloe entering the classroom with a tiara. Marinette could feel Tikki also laughing inside the purse; for just a split second, she also thought she heard a snort come from Adrien's laptop bag.

 _And thus the excitement begins to play tricks on my mind._

Adrien was just as excited at the prospect of spending an entire day with Marinette. While she stared out the window to admire the passing streets, he watched her eyes widen with awe and lips part whenever she grinned. If Plagg could see the dumb expression he was making, the Kwami would be hysterical with laughter.

 _Who would ever choose cheese over girls, anyways?_

They came up on the first shop within twenty minutes. Before leaving the limousine Marinette and Adrien shared their possibilities for a gift. She also told him about the banner she and Alya had been working on for the party. Whatever she was getting Chloe remained a secret, however, and Adrien was fine with that.

 _Something about mysteries is so alluring…like Ladybug, and who could be under the mask…ah_ , he shook his head as Marinette exited the limousine, _forget about her for now! You get to spend the day with Marinette so your thoughts remain on Marinette! And getting a gift for Chloe, of course._

They started in a hat store. The number of hats they tried on and laughed over was uncountable. Adrien found out he looked good in green; Marinette wore brown extremely well. They decided to move on in the end after Marinette got a text from Juleka.

BOUGHT CHLOE FLOPPY YELLOW HAT. BLACK ROSES A NO OR GO?

The next stop was a candy shop. Adrien bought Marinette a bag of sour gummies that they ended up sharing together. They took photos of the faces and sent them to Alya, whose response drove them out of the store and to the next store.

ALREADY GOT HER CANDY. SO SOUR SHE'LL SWALLOW HER LIPS.

A beauty boutique was just down the road. Marinette suggested buying her a flowery perfume. "I bet she would love something that smelled like a garden."

Adrien picked up a nearby bottle. "How about a vegetable garden?"

They chuckled and left the perfumes for a collection of newly released blushes from the Agreste line. Only when Lila texted did they decide to move on.

GONNA MAKE HER SMELL LIKE A VEGETABLE GARDEN, UNIQUE 101!

* * *

After a long while of searching, Marinette could tell Tikki was getting hungry from the way she was feeling a tug on her purse. "I think we should stop for a bite to eat now."

"Good idea!" Adrien pointed to a nearby restaurant. "I've always wanted to eat there! Let me get my bodyguard to…to…" He looked around. The limousine was doing a round nearby. He would have no idea which store he and Marinette were in.

 _…I mean, it's not like there's any danger in a restaurant._

"Forget it, he can find us later." He led the way across the street. "I'll pay."

 _The least I can do for all her help._

Marinette was compelled to do something more for him. "I'll tip."

 _The least I can do for all his brilliant ideas._

They ordered the same dish, a steaming hot plate of spaghetti, and waited to be served. They went over their lists again and started crossing off already used ideas. Marinette kept texting the others to make sure there were no doubles: Maylene and Ivan were buying Chloe a new pair of heels, Rose got her a lovely white dress, and Sabrina bought a full length mirror using her allowance months ago. It left few creative options.

 _I need to eat and get these creative juices flowing._

The waiter arrived shortly after and placed their plates down. "Bon appetite."

They thanked him and dug in. While they ate, Adrien continued to gaze over at Marinette. She had the most adorable way of trying to stuff as many noodles into her cheeks as possible. When she noticed him watching she nearly choked trying to swallow it all down and pretend nothing had happened. "M-My, I sure am h-hungry."

"No wonder," he chuckled, "since the food is so good. Chloe raves about this place. I bet you she's tried every dish on the menu…hey," he grinned, "what about a gift card to this place? She could come whenever she wanted, and maybe even bring a friend or two!"

"That would be a stupendous gift!" Her smile faded for a moment. "Oh…I guess that means I get to go home now, what with shopping being finished."

Adrien shook his head. "I still need a few items to fill the bag I have back home. We have plenty of time to look around some more. You willing?"

"More than ever!"

For neither would let the day go to waste yet.

 **Awww, shopping trips are so much fun, especially when you do them with your crush who secretly has a crush on you but doesn't want to say anything because they don't know you have a crush on them even though you totally do and have for a while now but would never say it aloud because you would rather not embarrass yourself in front of your crush even though they already have a crush on you!**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	13. Crushing in the Car, Uh, Adrien? Oh, OH-

_I cannot believe I let the entire day go to waste!_

Adrien had more than enough gifts for Chloe, so he and Marinette stood side by side close to the restaurant, waiting for the limousine as the sun began to set. With a gift card, purse, socks, nail polish and a heart pendant in tow, he knew the bag at home would be stuffed. He only wished he could have thought up another excuse to keep Marinette around for longer, if only for another hour or two…or three…He glanced over to find her scrolling through photos on her camera. He peered over her shoulder.

 _If only it could last longer._

The pictures were filled to the brim with energy: he and Marinette trying sour candies, exploring a clothing store, slurping up spaghetti, testing out nail polishes, etc. "You could make an entire scrapbook out of those."

"I will!"

"H-Huh?!"

Marinette giggled and put her phone away. "I have an empty book mom gave me a while back. If I get a couple old sheets of paper out I can make a real memory collection you can be proud of."

 _I'm already proud of you._

The limousine pulled up, and once they were in the back seat it pulled off to the bakery. Adrien was once again watching Marinette as she watched the city become a blur out the window. He put his bags to the side and smiled. "Thank you again for coming shopping with me. Your advice has been extremely helpful."

"No problem. I really enjoyed being out here with you – I mean," she waved her hands around, "helping you pick gifts for Chloe! It's been a blast!"

He sighed and leaned back on the seat. Marinette tilted her head. "Are you tired?"

"Kind of."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…Ugh," he straightened up and put his head in his hands, "how can I keep thus up?!"

His outburst surprised Marinette. She glanced down at her purse. Tikki peeked out and gave her a shrug. The Kwami was just confused. "Is something wrong? Did we forget to get another gift for Chloe?"

"This isn't about Chloe, actually," he leaned in close to her, "this is about me and you."

"H-Huh?"

As soon as the words were out Adrien knew he was in trouble. He had no idea how to follow up on his feelings. He had no idea how to sort out his feelings in the first place! Now Marinette was staring at him, waiting for an answer he did not have. If Plagg wasn't napping, his Kwami would be howling with laughter. He could feel his cheeks going hot as the setting sun. Marinette tried looking away, only to glance back at his awkward expression. "…A-Adrien?"

 _Say something, you idiot, say anything to make this less awkward!_

He opened his mouth. She leaned in closer. "You okay?"

 _Dosomethingdosomethingdosomethingdosomethingdosomething-_

"Your cheeks are going red."

 _MOVE!_

"W-What are you-?!"

Spur of the moment.

His lips.

On _hers_.

Their eyes widened. Their cheeks were rouge. Their hearts nearly stopped.

 _…Not what I meant to move to._

Strange enough, neither of them were willing to move away. Only when the limousine hit a bump did they part and stare at one another in silence. Adrien could see fear in her eyes. He had just…just… _assaulted_ her. He had to explain himself before she called the police. "W-Wait, I-I-I can explain!" He wished he could read her thoughts, but he took her silence as a chance to begin, hopefully in time to keep her from thinking him a freak.

"I am so sorry about that! I never meant to hurt you! I was just so confused about how I feel with you and Ladybug and myself and – I'm just so confused! I keep thinking about you, day in and day out and night and day and every second of my life! I love you but I love Ladybug, or I think I love Ladybug, but she and you are so similar! I would never, ever try something like that unless I had your permission! I mean, I know I just did it without your permission, but I…I…ugh, look, you are…you are the most amazing girl I have ever met, and spending this entire day with you has been one of the greatest days of my life! I had to tell you so you wouldn't think…wouldn't think I was a bully for forcing that on you!"

Marinette gawked. Adrien was confessing love for her. He was also crying. Tears that he could not dry not matter how many times he wiped them off on his bare arms. She was numb, but she also couldn't sit by and watch him like this. She took a deep breath as her own eyes watered. Then she responded with a grand opus outburst of her own, much to his shock.

"I do not blame you! I could never blame you! I know you have issues at home and I still love you! I have loved you since the day you lent me that umbrella! The day you apologized for my ignorance! You are the most wonderful boy in the entire world and I love you! Kissing me is the best part of this day! I know this is a lot of pressure to put on you, but you are perfect to me no matter your faults! Comparing me to Ladybug is such a compliment! I have no idea why your love is for me and not her! It makes no sense! She is so much better! For you to say these things and mean them – I…I…We…"

Then they sat there, tears streaming down their cheeks as the limousine continued towards the bakery. They took deep breaths and dried their eyes in further silence. After all that had occurred the last few weeks, from the fire to the funeral to the new hero, without either knowing how the other knew so much, their shoulders suddenly felt much, much lighter.

But they still had ten minutes of the ride to go…

 **HA! Bet I surprised you with this revelation, huh?! Ya, I could have saved the reveal of their feelings for later, but honestly, after everything two of them have been through, I knew it was naturally only a matter of time before one of them burst, and so I let Adrien be the one to kiss. Sweet, huh? Now, what can they possibly talk about for the next ten minutes...:)**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	14. Kiss, Kiss, Let Them Out!

_Adrien kissed me._

 _Adrien Agreste kissed me._

 _I HAVE BEEN KISSED BY ADRIEN AGRESTE!_

Marinette gave him a quick glance. The duo had taken to keeping on the farther sides of the seat, gazing out the window while waiting for the red of their cheeks to fade. The gifts for Chloe now rested between them. Tikki kept silent in her purse, though she knew the Kwami would have a few things to say when she got to her room. She wondered what Adrien was thinking…

 _Marinette loves me._

 _Marinette Dupain-Cheng loves me._

 _I AM LOVED BY MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG!_

Adrien gave her a quick glance. Their eyes met before returning to their respective windows. He had never given any thought to other classmates having crushes on him. Could it be true? Could Marinette really have a crush on him? He had to look at her again. When had she been so pretty? Why had he never noticed how beautiful she is?

 _Because I've been so obsessed with Ladybug not to notice her._

He was unsure whether or not the day had been a disaster or not. He had no way of knowing if he had ruined everything. Marinette had said that kissing her was a good thing…unless she was just feeling pity for him. She could just be trying to save him from even further embarrassment…but then, why would she burst into tears like him? What about the confession?

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…Tikki."

Adrien looked over as Marinette popped her purse open. For a moment there was nothing, and he was beginning to think his outburst had driven her to imagine things.

"Please, Tikki. I have to tell him the truth. After…after all of this…" She was snuffling again. It led to more tears that she tried to hide behind her hands. "T-Tell him the t-truth."

Finally a round red head appeared out of the purse, with big blue eyes and antenna. Adrien had to pinch himself to make sure he was still awake. From out of her purse flew a Kwami. It gave him a friendly wave and a nod of the head. "Hello."

So many things were clicking into place in his brain. Too many things began to make sense. He felt like a fool for not seeing it sooner. He had just said how similar Marinette and Ladybug were and now…he felt like such an idiot! How had he not seen it sooner?

"Marinette, you…Ladybug is…you are…"

Tikki turned to Marinette and sat on her shoulder. "Hey. It had to happen eventually."

Marinette would not look at either of them out of shame. "I was supposed to keep it a secret, and then this happens and…how weak can I possibly be?"

 _No. No! No way is she weak! I…I have to…Ladybug…_

With as much determination as he could muster, Adrien jammed his hands into his laptop bag, pulled Plagg out and held him in front of Tikki. "M-Marinette!"

Tikki gasped. "Plagg?!"

Plagg burped and woke to find Tikki inches from his face. He looked around the limousine, took in the situation, and let out a sigh. Marinette turned and stared at him with eyes wide as saucers. "Whelp. This is awkward."

Marinette glanced over Plagg at Adrien. "…You have a Kwami."

"Yes."

"A black cat Kwami."

"Yup."

"...You are Chat Noir."

 _Sure glad my bodyguard has the screen up between us and the front seats, or this would almost be twice as crazy._

"Yes, Marinette. I'm Chat Noir. You're Ladybug. We both know about Kwami and miraculous and Graham and HawkMoth and…and…wow," he actually managed to chuckle, "we sure have a lot to talk about…uh…if you still want to talk to me, that is."

Marinette shook her head. "Of course I still want to talk to you! I thought…I thought maybe you would never want to talk to me ever again, since I never told you the truth…Chat Noir." She also let out a chuckle. "Never knew you had such a sense of humour."

"Oh. Yeah. I told you all those jokes. I made all those flirty comments towards you." Adrien had never thought he could be so embarrassed. "Oops. Sorry."

"No, no, I…I enjoy them."

"Really?"

"Yes."

More awkward silence. Tikki and Plagg looked to one another, at a loss for words. They had no idea what Master Fu was going to say to this development. Marinette and Adrien were doing no better. Neither knew how to even begin wrapping up what just happened. Their secrets were out. They knew the truth.

"…Should we tell Queen Bee?"

Adrien shook his head. "Not yet. I'm having a hard enough time accepting all of this."

The limousine pulled up in front of the bakery. Marinette glanced at Adrien. "You have a hard time believing me to be Ladybug?"

"No," he smiled, "a hard time believing you're okay knowing I'm Chat Noir."

Marinette leaned back to his side as the Kwami watched intently. Carefully she took his hand and held his gaze.

 _No more shying away from him. No more being the awkward girl in the back with a crush. He needs you now more than ever, and…and you need him._

She pecked him on the cheek. She had no problem doing it. No sweaty palms. No terrified gasps. Just a warm feeling in her chest. "See you at school on Monday."

Adrien watched her slip out of the limousine and into the bakery. The car pulled off. Plagg sat on his lap while he took deep breaths.

 _I love Ladybug; therefore, I love Marinette._

He sighed with relief.

 _Wow._

Back in the bakery, Marinette leaned against the door while Tikki slipped into her purse. She let out a sigh.

 _I love Adrien; therefore, I love Chat Noir._

She giggled.

 _Wow._

It was a relief to the both of them, and best of all, no one else would find out unless they told the truth.

At least, that would be the case, had not the bodyguard been watching the entire scene.

 **The secrets are out, I repeat, THE SECRETS ARE OUT! What a development we have on our hands, people! I know this seems to be coming out of nowhere, but I assure you that I gave this a lot of thought, and I feel this is the best course of action. Trust me, everything is beginning to fall into place for the biggest shock coming! And the bodyguard may just be in on the secret, too, which means that...he may just have a few new tidbits for somebody else...**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	15. We Interrupt Lunch to Bring you AKUMA!

Monday came around with little going on around the school. On the inside of the minds of four certain students, however, wheels were turning and strange things were in motion.

Chloe was busy dealing with her feelings for Graham. He never seemed to reciprocate her love. Her party was in two days and she was hoping to invite him, but he was always busy with work from Master Fu.

 _I know he's been alive for three hundred years and I'm only sixteen, but I'm mature enough for a relationship. Surely he believes we could work out! I mean, he has no one else…_

She gazed out the window at people passing by, holding hands and whispering sweet nothings to one another.

 _Does he?_

Across the room, Alya was churning and burning through theories in her mind as she scribbled on her notes. HawkMoth was so close to being figured out. Something about the way Graham acted at the museum had to be the breakthrough she needed.

 _Alix and Jalil are not HawkMoth…_

She glanced over at Alix, who was busy tying her sneakers up.

 _Is she?_

Marinette kept stealing glances at Adrien when the teacher was busy writing notes on the board. She and he had not stopped texting one another during the weekend. They were catching up on everything they knew as both students and superheroes.

 _Now we wait for the fox miraculous to appear._

Adrien did all he could to not be obvious as he continually glanced back at Marinette. The way she gave him a wink whenever he started to worry set his heart at ease. It was like having…no, it _was_ having Ladybug around at all times.

 _Now to figure out how to time an explanation with Queen Bee and the new hero._

The four of them sighed in unison, much to the wonder of the rest of the class. The four Kwami, all hidden away in their bags, tried to figure out how their partners were feeling. The week felt as though it were winding up to something, though none of them could put a finger on what could happen.

No one could ever guess what was going to happen.

* * *

"AKUMA ATTACK!"

Lunch was rudely interrupted by the sound of a predator roaming the street outside the school. It took only seconds for all the students to begin panicking and racing around one another for cover and freedom from its giant feet. Marinette and Adrien locked eyes across the courtyard before racing to the bathrooms. They would have to talk some more after the fight.

"TIKKI, SPOTS ON!"

"PLAGG, CLAWS OUT!"

The entire school was so busy running for their lives that no one noticed Chloe as she slipped to the stairs and under the steps. She had no time for dealing with her emotions. Graham would be there to help and they could talk afterwards.

"HUNEYY, STRIPE IT UP!"

Likewise, Alya went by unnoticed as she hid away in a back corner of a lower floor classroom and slipped her necklace out over her shirt. Maybe the battle would give her some idea of how to finally figure out who HawkMoth was.

"TRIXX, TAIL ME!"

Vixen, Queen Bee, Ladybug and Chat Noir hopped atop the school together as the monstrous akuma roamed below. Queen Bee nudged Vixen. "Welcome to the club, new girl. Got a name for the press to expand on all their newspapers?"

Vixen nudged her back with a smirk. "Call me Vixen. A pleasure to meet you all mask to mask." She glanced over at Ladybug and Chat Noir, the duo lost in each other's eyes. "…Uh, should we leave you two alone while the akuma runs loose?"

They glanced over at her and Queen Bee and blushed. "Sorry about that. Nice to meet you, fox hero."

"Vixen."

"Right, right, Vixen," Chat Noir pointed at the akuma, "so what shall we commence, ladies?"

 _Hm…something about Marinette and Adrien has been off all day…_

Vixen put her thoughts aside and studied the akuma. It took the form of a lumbering construction man with a huge jaw and two hefty pieces of lumber over his shoulder. The helmet he wore was as yellow as his garments, but there was a distinct butterfly sigil on the front. "I think I found our target for de-akumatizing."

Queen Bee flew off and above the akuma. "Easy enough!" She landed on the top on her knees and gave a thumbs up.

 _THUMP!_

One of the lumber pieces smacked her off and to the ground, where she skid along on her face. As she got to her feet her hands went to her face. "My nose," she squealed, glaring at the akuma, "how dare you try and break my precious nose!"

The akuma growled at her. "Get out of my way, little girl, cuz Construction," he emphasized the "Con" in his name, "has some destruction to attend to."

"Alright, leading lady," Vixen glanced at Ladybug, "what's the plan?" She slumped when she noticed her and Chat Noir once again distracted by one another. She stepped between them and shoved them apart. "Hello?! Akuma attack?!"

Ladybug shook her head. "Sorry about that…again. Okay," she examined Construction, "we can split into teams until Povas arrives. Chat Noir and I will go for the helmet while you and Queen Bee distract him."

Vixen was not convinced. "How about Chat Noir and Queen Bee distract while you and I go for the helmet?"

 _They'll end up distracting each other more than we distract the akuma._

Chat Noir slipped beside Ladybug and put an arm around her shoulders. "M'lady and I are the ultimate team. We can take the helmet away before he even notices."

Vixen groaned. "I think you two should-"

 _THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!_

Queen Bee was the mole in Construction's game of whack-a-mole as he tried squashing her with the lumber. She stuck her tongue out at him. "You couldn't hit the side of a diamond-encrusted barn, you oversized-"

 _SMACK!_

The lumber came from both sides, crushing her and dropping her to the ground – and right under his boot. Vixen gasped.

"Queen Bee!"

 **I told you we would get to a fight eventually! These next few chapters were a ton of fun to write, figuring out how each of the hero interact with on another and how each of them know certain secrets about certain other partners and how their current feelings affect how well they work together. It was a lot to think about, but I hope you guys enjoy (also, I know the akuma isn't very creative, but I just needed something for the four - soon to be five - heroes to face off against together).**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	16. Love is in the Air, Unfortunately

"Get up, Queen Bee, before you get the boot!"

 _Chloe, you have to move or face the bottom of Construction's heel!_

Queen Bee groaned and got to her elbows as Construction loomed over her. Ladybug, Chat Noir and Vixen were unable to move to her side in time. Construction jeered and raised his foot for a huge stomp down on top of the heroine. "Say bye-bye to your miraculous, little girl!"

His boot was brought to the ground.

"Not my petite pecan, you don't!"

 _TWANG!_

The trio atop the school let out huge sighs of relief. Povas crouched between Queen Bee and the boot, his feathery shield taking the blow. He gave a heave and shoved Construction back while grabbing her and leaping onto the school. Construction growled at them and held his pieces of lumber to the sky. "No one gets in my way!"

Povas helped Queen Bee to her feet. She gave him a giddy smile. "You really are my live prince charming, you know that?"

Povas glanced at Vixen, and she understood instantly what was happening, even if Ladybug and Chat Noir were too distracted by the akuma to notice.

 _Chloe has a crush on Povas, and likely Graham behind the mask. No wonder she seems to have given up on wooing Adrien, aka Chat Noir. That means that Marinette, aka Ladybug, must have made a move on him, or the other way around, and that means…Povas and I have a triple lovers threat on our hands!_

Povas took to the edge of the roof and faced Construction, Ladybug and Chat Noir on one side and Queen Bee on the other wide Vixen. He held his hands up for peace, his shield back on his belt. "Listen to me! I know who you are under that akumatized helmet!"

Construction paused to listen. "What would a brat like you know?"

"I know your name is Eugene Stanley, and you were unable to get hired by the Enterprising Law Form for their newest building plans because an old rival of yours has been spreading rumours. I know you were hurt and angry, but taking it out on Paris is not the answer!"

The akuma let out a grunt. "You may have done your research, but that is far from getting you a permit for arresting me!" He banged his lumber pieces over his head. "Time to show you kiddies how a real man builds his muscles!"

All eyes on the roof turned to Ladybug. She glanced at each of them before resting her eyes back on Chat Noir. "We stick to distraction and removal. Povas, deal with the lumber. Vixen, illusions will keep his eyes on the road. Queen Bee, take his attention from the sky. Chat Noir and I will grab the helmet from behind."

Chat Noir put a hand on her arm. "That sounds amazing."

"Aw, thank you."

Queen Bee gave Povas a hip bump. "I'll be sure to watch out for you while in the air."

Vixen was about to raise her hand and suggest switching teams up, if only to keep the trio from being each other's distraction, but Povas noticed and shook his head. "This plan can work. Head down and make your best lie."

 _No point fighting it when we have an actual akuma to fight._

Vixen leaped onto the steps and slipped out of view behind the stone and bushes. She watched as Queen Bee began flying around Construction until his eyes were on her striped suit. Povas kept to the rooftop, waiting for the right moment to strike. Ladybug and Chat Noir leapt down behind Construction and got their yo-yo and baton out. She took a deep breath.

We can make this work.

Construction let loose with his limbers, swinging after Queen Bee as she darted back and forth. It was as if Vixen was watching a yellow blur buzzing past a monstrous windmill.

Once the limbers were away from the helmet, Povas jumped on and flattened himself against the plastic to keep out of sight. Ladybug and Chat Noir were talking quietly behind, planning how to move next.

 _Time for me to prove the true power of the true fox heroine!_

She grabbed the small tube on her hip and lengthened it into the flute. Putting it to her lips, she released a sickly tune that caused the bushes to squirm.

 _His heartbeat_ , she glanced up at Construction as he swatted Queen Bee away, _I can hear it. As if I can…read him…read his fears…I know what to make!_

Her fox ears twitched. Footsteps came from behind her. She turned and spotted a stranger to join her by the bushes. "…Oh," she smirked, "this is gonna be fun."

Queen Bee and Povas were having a harder time keeping Construction Distracted. She wanted to scream at Chat Noir and Ladybug, who were spending more time asking each other for advice than working on their plan. Povas was no closer to actually removing the helmet because he was too busy clinging for dear life. She wanted desperately to show him how fast and swift she was in the air now, but his eyes were on the helmet.

Ladybug could see that Construction was slowing them down. Povas was trying both to keep the akuma distracted and remove the helmet, but Construction was moving round too much. She had to stop him. "What do you suggest, Chat Noir?"

Chat Noir gave her a smile that nearly melted her on the spot. "You're our leader. Say the word and we will come running."

"I want to make sure I do it right. You give great advice, so-"

"Not nearly as good as you do-"

"Without you I could never-"

"You are the best of the best-"

 _SWACK!_

Construction smacked a piece of limber into Chat Noir, sending him flying into the water. Then he set his sights on Ladybug. "I can hear you plotting down there, little girl!"

Vixen watched with gaping mouth. She had to act - NOW!

 **Oh, dear. It looks like out heroes' feelings for one another are starting to NOT pay off when it comes to fighting an akuma. Gosh, writing five different perspectives while writing a fight scene can be a tad bit confusing, so do go easy if I make a spelling mistake here or there. Man, writing "Marvellously Mythical Miraculous Quantic Squad" is gonna be a killer - WITH FIFTEEN HEROES AT ONCE! (Good thing it only follows Felix or I would lose my mind).**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	17. Momma Mia

" _EUGENE DOUGLAS STANLEY, YOU PUT THOSE LIMBER PIECES DOWN THIS INSTANT OR SO HELP ME I WILL GROUND YOU 'TIL YOUR GRANDCHILDREN ARE FINISHED COLLEGE_!"

Construction froze and slowly turned. Vixen stood beside an old woman with curly red hair and wearing a flowery pastel dress. Her pointed glasses, thick red lips and wrinkled neck wagged as she shook her head at the sight. Queen Bee and Povas remained atop his helmet as she swung her white purse around. "What do you think you're doing wrecking the city?!"

Vixen pretended to wipe her nose on her sleeve. She wanted to play up the scene as best possible before Construction learned the truth. "This man has been causing trouble all over the District. I tried to stop him, but he was so mean."

Mrs. Stanley drummed her fingers on her hip and tapped her foot in an angry rhythm. Ladybug and Chat Noir crept up behind the akuma as he stumbled with the limber. Finally they were out of each other's gazes and focused on the mission. Queen Bee and Povas gave her a thumbs up. She felt like blushing – like she was flowing right along with the team.

 _I fit in with the others at last._

Construction put his limbers down but did not let them go. "Momma, why are you here? Should I call the dentist again? Did you skip your appointment again?"

"This is not about me, Eugene, this is about you making a mess of our fair city, and treating the heroes so rudely!"

Vixen winked at Ladybug. Now she could come up with a plan for destroying the akumatized helmet. She waited for a response…until she realized that Ladybug was, once again, too busy talking to Chat Noir.

 _Are you serious, Marinette?!_

Vixen tapped Mrs. Stanley on the shoulder and sniffled. "I would never ask too much of you, but he has been so mean and-"

"Say no more," Mrs. Stanley cooed and pinched her cheek – she was surprised as how real it felt – and smiled, "and let me deal with this." Immediately the woman turned back to Construction with a huge frown. " _And as for YOU, Eugene_ -"

Vixen ran out of view before she was caught in a slew of punishments. She raced around his legs and up beside Ladybug. "Hey, girl," she nudged her as Chat Noir looked over, "enough with the ogling and back to more battling!"

"What?" Ladybug took Chat Noir's hand and gave Vixen a dainty smile. "I never ogle."

"You are now, both of you, to each other!"

Chat Noir tilted his head. "Both of us? I never knew I could ogle."

Vixen groaned and began shaking Ladybug by her shoulders, much to the surprise of Chat Noir, Queen Bee and Povas as the heroes watched. "Pull yourself together, girl, and lead us to victory before my illusion wears off!"

Ladybug stared right into her eyes. Something about the way Vixen held herself brought a new sense of confidence to her. "…Everyone," she glanced at the others, "behind the steps while the illusion keeps Construction occupied."

The group raced over and hid behind the stone, in the exact same place Marinette once hid from Adrien with his gift. Construction was trying to get a word in edgewise, but his mother would have none of it. "Mama, please-"

"How dare you stomp around like you own the place! You barely own your own apartment, let alone a District!"

Ladybug almost felt bad for Construction. She turned to the others who were waiting for orders. "Any ideas, Chat Noir?"

Queen Bee and Vixen rolled their eyes as Chat Noir gave her his warmest grin. "Whatever you come up with will be genius, M'lady."

She involuntarily sighed. Knowing that it was Adrien talking to her under the mask, that she no longer had to differentiate between his humour and charm, gave her a fuzzy feeling. "You have a lot of faith in my abilities."

"Always have and always will."

Vixen nudged Ladybug. "So, about the akuma about to figure out my trick?"

 _Right. I have to focus…wonder what Adrien would do…no, no, focus! I need to…maybe I should ask him for some – no, get it together! No Wonder Vixen was shaking me. Okay, okay, how about we…Chat Noir and I could…hm…_

She began to sweat. Her eyes widened.

 _I CAN'T FOCUS ON ANYTHING!_

Construction was beginning to look around. "Hey, hey, where are the heroes! I have to grab their miraculous!"

"You listen to me, young man-"

"Enough, mama," he swung his limber down on either side of her, "I don't have to listen to you any longer!" He bent down and looked closely at her. "…Hey. Hey…are you…?"

Vixen took in a sharp breath. "Here it comes."

 _Swish!_

"No way," Construction roared as he swung his limber about, the illusion vanished, "she was a phony! No one gets to make a phony of my mama!"

All eyes were back on Ladybug, and she was seriously feeling the pressure. "We may all have our gifts," Vixen assured her, "but you have been chosen as leader, so you need to start leading before we get pummeled!"

 _Come on, Marinette, you can do this!_

Ladybug sort of wished she had Alya at her side now. Alya would know how to handle this. She would have advice for clearing her thoughts of anything Adrien-related until the battle was won. "We…we have to distract him."

"I tried that already. I doubt he'll wait for a second distraction."

Queen Bee scoffed. "If you're running out of juice, then let Povas lead. If anyone can come up with a great plan, it'll be him." She leaned on his arm. "No one makes a plan like Povas, and he has lots of experience."

Vixen shot Queen Bee a look. Typical Chloe to try and give the handsome young man whatever she thought he wanted. "Ladybug is the leader and so she makes the final decision." Chat Noir nodded in agreement.

"Povas can lead just a well! I've seen it!"

Ladybug felt a headache coming on. Construction was coming closer. Vixen and Queen Bee had a fight brewing. Povas look lost in thought. Chat Noir was waiting for her to come up with a plan to stop the akuma.

A plan she didn't have.

 **Time for Marinette to get her head in gear and figure out how our heroes are gonna be able to beat the akuma, especially when her heart is so focused on what Adrien/Chat Noir wants! Ah, young love, it really is magical...now if only that magic could help defeat a giant construction man on a rampage! How does she plan on getting them out of here with miraculous intact?**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	18. Worry Wart

_Think, Marinette, think! You have to come up with a plan to stop Construction! You need to stop focusing on Adrien/Chat Noir and start focusing on the mission! Oh, maybe Queen Bee is right. Maybe Povas should lead…_

Ladybug glanced at Povas. He was gently removing Queen Bee from his arm.

 _…No. I am the leader and I need to overcome my feelings. If I give up now then I do not deserve to ever lead again! Take this seriously, Marinette!_

Construction was stomping around like a child that had just lost his favourite toy. The pieces of limber swung about so high they nearly knocked a flock of birds into the water. "Come out and face me, heroes, so that I may grab your miraculous and bring an end to your useless heroics! It is no use hiding from me for much longer!"

Queen Bee gracefully cracked her knuckles. "Your plan had better involve a serious beat down on his part."

Ladybug had never heard her use a term like "beat down" before. Queen Bee was too ladylike for such statements. She meant business. Vixen had the same determined look in her features. Povas still seem distracted by something. Chat Noir was nodding at her. "Whatever you tell us to do will be more than enough."

Ladybug sort of wished Adrien had less faith in her. It put a ton of pressure on her shoulders to not only defeat the akuma, but to impress him.

 _Knowing his secret identity feels much harder than I thought it would be._

She peered out over the steps and watched Construction as he walked away from the school. He probably assumed they had moved to another location for the fight. She turned back to Vixen and the others and took a deep breath.

"Okay, people, I have a plan for stopping the akuma, but you have to do exactly as I say." She gave Povas a look, finally bringing him out of his thoughts and back to the conversation. "The akuma has to be stopped before there are any casualties. Listen, now…"

* * *

Construction stormed through the streets of Paris as citizens attempted to get out of his way. He kept his eyes on the rooftops as HawkMoth spoke into his ears, a purple butterfly sigil appearing over his eyes.

" _If you do not bring me the miraculous, Construction, then you shall never receive the respect you deserve as the best constructionist in Paris_!"

Unbeknownst to both Construction and HawkMoth, Povas was close behind, keeping behind the cars and in the shadows as the akuma made his way towards a nearby shopping district. Ladybug had given him simple orders.

 _"Keep on his tail while the rest of us prepare an ambush. Also, try not to get lost in anymore of your thoughts until the akuma is finished, okay? Trust me, I know how hard it can be, but we all have to focus."_

He was embarrassed at how distracted he was being. Ever since his chat with Master Fu he had been worrying about actually defeating HawkMoth. Where would he go afterwards? Would it be too dangerous to stay in Paris without any identification? Would he not just be a hindrance to the others?

Povas shook his head. He was getting lost in his thoughts all over again. Construction was ahead of him so he doubled his efforts to both stay hidden to keep up. Eventually the akuma stopped by a small office beside a clothing store. Povas recognized the name of the company it belonged to. It was Enterprising Law Form, the building company that hadn't hired Eugene Stanley because of the lies his competitor had told them!

Construction sneered at the office as the door opened. A chubby man with a thick brown beard and his own construction helmet and boots on was coming out onto the sidewalk with a couple of blueprints wrapped up under his arm. When he saw the huge akuma his eyes bulged and all his prints dropped to his feet. "E-Eugene?!"

"Long time no see, _Steve_ ," Construction smashed his limber pieces down on either side of Steve, "and I see you've taken to the job that I rightfully deserved."

"N-Now l-listen to me, E-Eugene-"

"I did my listening! Listening to you telling everyone that I use cheap equipment! That I steal all the credit from secondary companies! That I leave weaknesses in the structure of anything I lay my hands on!"

"I-I know, a-and I can t-take it all back!"

"Of course you will," Construction raised his limber pieces as Steve stumbled onto his back, "so how about we start with sharing the pain your lies made me feel?!" He swung them to fast Steve had no time to react.

 _SMACK!_

Povas deflected the limber with his shield. It had been instinct that put him between the akuma and Steve, who was now staring at him like he was an alien. "W-Why?"

Povas grunted under the strain of the limber pieces bearing down on him. "To save you from the fate of a pancake."

Steve scratched his beard thoughtfully despite the danger. "E-Even though V-Vixen created me to distract him?"

 _…Oh. Right. Forgot about that._

Construction raised his limber again and sneered at Povas. "What was that about Steve being a phony?" He swung the wood down on either side of Povas, pinning him between and picking him up like sushi between chopsticks. "How kind of you to let me in on your plan. How about we wait around for your fellow heroes to tag in?"

 _How could I have forgotten_ , Povas struggled to break free as Construction cackled, _when we had just gone over the plan a few minutes ago?! Where on earth is my head now of all times? I need to stop thinking about HawkMoth and get back on track!_

"You know," Construction stomped out the Steve illusion and brought Povas closer to his face, "since I have you here, I might as well…grab your miraculous."

 **Looks like the plan is already beginning to unravel thanks to the many, many, MANY thoughts swimming around in Povas' mind. Where DOES he go after HawkMoth is defeated? What happens to the team once HawkMoth is gone? Too bad he decided NOW of all times to start worrying about these things, because Construction is only getting started!**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	19. Proving Your Worth

Vixen hid under the window of the Enterprising Law Form office, the real Steve beside her, as they watched Construction trap Povas between the limber pieces. She would have a hard time fooling him or HawkMoth again. She gripped her flute and waited for the signal. Ladybug had finally come up with a decent plan for defeating the akuma.

 _So why did Graham decide to take on Construction and protect the illusion?_

Steve let out a tiny moan and held his head in his hands. "This is all my fault. I should have just let Eugene get the job. I was envious of all his business and wanted to get something myself. I have so many bills to pay…I have to apologize."

Vixen gave his shoulder a quick pat. Despite his lies, she could see a sympathetic man beneath the thick beard. "Once we de-akumatize him you can apologize all you like. Wait until we save him from HawkMoth, though, okay?"

Then she saw it. On the roof of the building behind Construction, across the street and filled with terrified citizens hidden behind windows, a red and pink flash of light shot into the sky before dropping back out of view. Construction had no chance to notice, too busy taunting Povas while waiting for her and the others to appear.

 _Maybe Povas wanted to make sure he was distracted enough?_

Now that Ladybug had her Lucky Charm, and both Queen Bee and Chat Noir were on their way to play their parts, Vixen was ready to put the plan into action. She slipped out of the office since Construction was busy dealing with Povas, and in a second she was hidden behind his left boot. Her flute was at the ready.

 _Show me your skills, Marinette._

* * *

Ladybug held the charm in her hand, a red and black spotted clipboard. Queen Bee was at her side and Chat Noir was on his way to meet the akuma head on. "Get ready," she told Queen Bee as they ran across the rooftops, "and we can have this akuma done in seconds."

Queen Bee whipped her pigtail back with a flourish. "With me on your team, we can have him saved in milliseconds."

Ladybug rolled her eyes as they approached the sight of the akuma. Hiding beneath the edge of the roof, they peeked over in time to spot Chat Noir on the other roof, Vixen beside one of the huge boots, and-!

Povas?!

The bird hero was trying to break free of the limber, but his arms were pinned to his sides and the akuma was relentlessly shaking him like a bottle of liquid medicine. "Maybe now," his voice boomed across Paris, "I can just shake off your miraculous! Ha-ha-ha!"

 _Povas is supposed to be taking him from behind with his feathers so Chat Noir and Queen Bee have a chance to move in! What gives?!_

"Brilliant!"

Ladybug glanced at Queen Bee, surprised by her outburst. "What is so brilliant about any of this? Povas was supposed to-"

"Think about it. Now he can remain even further distracted while we work!" She sighed like she was in a dream. "He is so much smarter than any of us…well, almost as smart as myself, at least. Just goes to show what kind of leader he would make."

Ladybug held off her grumbling for later – but it _would_ be happening. "Birdbrain" would not be cutting it for her remarks to their fellow teammate. "Sure. Brilliant. Really. How about you show Construction how brilliant our _plan_ is gonna be?"

Queen Bee gave her a salute and flew high above the akumatized helmet. She signalled to Chat Noir with her hand.

 _Time to move out._

She hopped down onto the street and whistled. Construction ceased his shaking of the limber and caught sight of her. He gave a devious smirk and stomped over to her, Vixen secretly riding on his shoelaces. "Look what we have here!"

"Indeed, indeed," she waved the clipboard around, "what we have here is of the utmost, and I do mean the utmost, importance!" She had been hoping for a lucky charm that would make her look like she was holding something Construction wanted, and the clipboard was perfect. "I think we have the biggest scheduling conflict in Parisian history on our hands!"

Construction tilted his head. "What are you talking about? Where did you get that clipboard?"

"From the office. It had a bunch of openings for employment."

He eagerly leaned down close to her, holding Povas and the limber to the side. "Are you serious? You gotta let me know if anything is nearby!"

She wagged her finger at him. The plan would never work if she gave in. "Afraid these jobs are strictly for humans. No akumas allowed."

Construction growled and raised the limber pieces over his head, holding Povas upside down. "Afraid that wasn't a request!"

She grinned. "Obviously I knew that." She dropped the clipboard and whipped her yo-yo out at his chest, knocking him back a step. "Now, guys!"

Queen Bee flew up behind him and held her whip handle out. Construction had no time to look back. "MIND YOUR OWN BEESWAX!" Thick globs of honey shot out and stuck the limber to his hands. He tried shaking them off to no avail. "Get going, Chat Noir!"

"CATACLYSM!" Chat Noir held his hands apart and leapt into the air. Landing in the hands of Queen Bee, she threw him up at the limber pieces, which he sliced his claws through before his landing beside Ladybug. The wood broke apart, freeing Povas in time for Queen Bee to swoop in and fly him to safety beside the others.

"Ah," Construction shook his hands and stumbled about in pain, "splinters! So many splinters! I can't get them out, they're covered in honey!"

Vixen was still on his boot. Ladybug gave her a thumbs up. "Your turn, newbie!"

 _I can do this_ , Vixen held her flute up, calling back what Trixx had told her regarding her special attack as Volpina, _and we can finally end this!_

 **Heh-heh, this fight is a tad bit longer than I expected, but hey, we get plenty of time with our heroes in costume, right? It really is a ton of fun writing out new fight scenes and seeing how each of the characters can work off one another (At least I only have five in this story..."Quantic Squad" finale is gonna be a killer 0_0). Hope you guys are enjoying this as much as I am!**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	20. Four Petite Pecans

Construction, still running around in circles with sticky splinters in his hands, was too late to take note of Vixen riding on his boot. He caught sight of her just as she took in a deep breath. "Hey, where did you come from?"

"ILL-WILL-USION!"

Her lips sprang to work on the flute, creating an eerie melody that formed an orb of glowing white and orange energy at the end. She ran up his leg, up his side, up his stomach and up his beard, and as she was running down his left arm, she jumped into the air and spun back to face him. She whipped the energy at his face, creating a burst of light in his eyes as she landed down beside Queen Bee.

"Whoa," Construction shook as his knees wobbled, "I feel really strange."

"I'll bet you do," Vixen pretended to blow smoke off the end of her flute, "since I just made you sick as a dog." She leaned in close to Queen Bee. "Or so he will believe."

"What exactly is the difference between your regular illusions and your special move?"

"My special illusions completely disengage the senses."

Construction fell onto his back, shaking the ground for a moment before the entire road went so silent, it was possible to hear birds across the way. Ladybug led the others to the helmet and gave a thumbs up. "Now all we need to do is break this humongous helmet and get the akuma out before Construction wakes back up."

Queen Bee held her whip out. "Allow me." She walked over and whipped it out, wrapping round the helmet and gently tugging it off his head. Once it was in her grip, she flew up into the air, let out a grunt, and slammed it back onto the street, splitting the helmet in two. A small akuma tried to escape past her, but Povas was too quick. He lunged for it and shoved it into his mouth before landing again. Ladybug, Vixen and Queen Bee all gagged.

"You _ate_ it?!"

Chat Noir scratched his head. "Guess I forgot to mention that he can cleanse the akuma too…just through swallowing. You know, like a peacock and poison."

Vixen glanced at Queen Bee. "He still your knight in shining blue armour?"

Queen Bee glanced back with a shrug. "So long as he brushes his teeth ten times a day."

Povas cleansed the city with his energized feathers, returning Eugene to normal in time for Steve to come out and apologize. The duo entered the office for a team up while Ladybug and the rest took to the rooftops. Once they were out of view the group notes their beeping miraculous. Well, all but Povas. He stood back from the group while they congratulated on another, until Ladybug noticed the space between them.

 _I suppose praising Adrien – and the girls – will have to wait._

"Alright, Papa Povas," she took up the space he had created between him and the others, "why don't you tell us what went on back there? Why did you not stick to the plan?"

He was silent for a moment, which gave Queen Bee time to back him up before the moment got too awkward. "Obviously he felt it best to help with distraction. We defeated the akuma and all ends well, so why bother bringing it up?"

"And I honestly appreciate the help. I just want to make sure everything is okay. If you ever want to change the plan, you have to let us know."

Povas gave her a sad smirk. "Funny how the girl so gifted at improvisation has a problem with minor changes to the plan." When he saw no one else smiling – well, save for Queen Bee, but when did she ever _not_ smile around him – his smirk faded away. "Sorry. This has been an off day for me. I guess I should get some rest."

Vixen smiled. "Good idea. We could all use some rest. Who knows what tomorrow brings?"

 _The party for Chloe, of course, but if I said that, everyone would know the truth._

Chat Noir pointed over his shoulder. "Wanna head back together?"

Povas shook his head. "I need time alone."

"You sure? Sometimes when we think we need to be alone we actually need companionship." He stole a look at Ladybug, and they shared an intimate stare. "Companions are the best."

"No, I really should be alone for now."

Queen Bee ignored the slight sharp tone in his voice as she flew over and hugged his arm. "How about you and I head out the same way and separate by the hotel?"

For the first time in decades, Povas actually shoved someone away, that someone being Queen Bee, who was as shocked as he and the others. He partially gained back his composure and gave her a sad frown. "I mean alone."

"…B-But-"

He pat her on the head. Like she was a child. Like she was no more important to him as the rest. "See you all later, my petite pecans." He ran off into the distance, leaving the rest to ponder what had been bothering him so. Queen Bee slowly let her gaze fall to the shingles.

 _…Petite pecan. He called me a petite pecan. He…really does think of me like the others…after all the time we've spent together, he…how could I ever think he felt the same way around me? I am such a fool…_

Vixen strode up beside Queen Bee and slipped her arm around hers. "We should get going so our miraculous can blink out in privacy." Slowly the girls headed off, leaving Ladybug and Chat Noir to themselves.

 _Those two can take care_ , Vixen thought to herself as she guided a now sniffling Queen Bee to the Bourgeois hotel, _while I see to poor Chloe._

Once everyone else was out of earshot, Ladybug turned back to Chat Noir. "We really should be talking about what we do now that we know each other's-?!"

She was unable to finish.

With his lips.

On hers.

 **Poor Povas is dealing with some stress right now. It always hurts as a writer when you have to write conflict. sometimes I just wanna keep all my precious characters safe and sound ;-; would make a terrible story, though. And hoo, boy, Chat Noir does NOT wait around when it comes to love. What on earth is Ladybug/Marinette going to do with him?**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	21. A Time of Thoughtfulness

Ladybug and Chat Noir were unable to hear one another over the screaming of their thoughts and the pounding of their hearts. Ladybug had no time to react when he had pulled her in for a full-fledged kiss. He had no time to react when he felt the need to kiss her. Now they stood, toe to toe atop a roof, lip to lip with eyes wide open. They stayed this way for five seconds. Ten. Five more and five more and five more and-

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Chat Noir pushed back with ears perked, "I am so, so, _so_ sorry about that! I never meant to…that was strange…whoa."

Ladybug sighed. This was what she had been afraid of. "We need to talk elsewhere before our miraculous blink out and leave us stranded up here." She guided him across the roofs and onto the street again, and together they ran back to the bakery.

 _This is gonna be so, so, so awkward._

* * *

 _This is so, so, so awkward._

Adrien sat on Marinette's bed while she paced in front of him. Tikki and Plagg sat on her desk, eating chocolate chip cookies and a bit of camembert they had found in the Dupain-Cheng fridge before her parents noticed. They had said nothing since the kiss. Neither really knew who should start and who should reply. Finally Plagg let out a burp. Adrien gave him a look.

"Please try to be civil."

"Just because we have to be in front of girls?"

"I ask you not to burp when you and I are alone!"

Plagg rolled his eyes and glanced at Tikki. "Is your partner ever this cruel?"

The Kwami giggled. "Only when I tease her too often."

Marinette nodded. "You deserved it then. Cookies are for good Kwamis."

"You know Plagg and I are much older than you two, right?"

Adrien squished his fingers together. "Only by a teeny-weeny bit."

Marinette giggled and settled down beside him. She had almost pulled down and let him look at her whiteboard, before she remembered that she had his entire life schedule on it and would end up scaring him out of the country. Talking without visuals would have to do. "Thank you for helping us with the akuma again."

"Of course!"

"I know you and I are partners-"

"Naturally."

"But I never want you to feel pressured." She saw his confusion and smiled. "There are five of us now, and bound to be more in the future. Whatever happens, and no matter how many people Fu gets to join our team, you and I have to stick together."

Adrien cautiously took her hand in his. "I understand. I would never try to leave or get jealous. I really am sorry for suddenly kissing you like that." He shot another look at Plagg. "Turns out our bond as Chat Noir means my emotions can get a little wild."

Marinette put her other hand on top of his. "We can handle wild." Her smile turned to a frown as her mind returned to the fight against Construction. "…You think Povas is going to be okay? He seemed so down today."

Adrien understood her concerns. "Something was eating at him for sure. Best to let him have the day to himself to sort things out. After all, three hundred years is plenty of experience for dealing with bad days."

She noted the admiration in his voice. "Graham is still human..." They turned to look out of her bedroom window together,

"Isn't he?"

* * *

After she had taken Queen Bee home and made sure Chloe was alright, Vixen transformed back into Alya outside the Bourgeois hotel and stopped by the fire escape. There had been no signs of Povas or Graham in his private room. "I hope Arguss can help him sort out his feelings, Trixx. I wish he would ask for help."

Trixx clung to the back of her phone and smiled. "Give him time. Povas has only been around for a few weeks at the most. Trust is something to be earned and grown. Sooner or later, though, he will come to you and the others."

Alya smiled back and began her walk home. "I guess all this investigating has made me a little too impatient. I feel like I have all the pieces. I just need to fit them together…"

* * *

Chloe sunk down on her bed and would not speak to Huneyy. With tear stained cheeks she slept. Huneyy felt her tiny Kwami heart breaking in two at the sight. The shaky breaths her partner had while dreaming did not help matters.

Love can be so painful. I only hope that this will be a growing experience for her and Graham. I could never live with myself if anything happened to her. In such a short amount of time she had grown into a wonderful hero. I will do anything to keep her safe.

She was so focused on Chloe that she barely noticed the blue hero slipping up into his room. She stayed by the bedside until deep into the evening.

* * *

Graham had never felt so bad, not since he had gotten Nathanael hurt in the fire that convinced the world he was gone. Arguss said nothing to him. She knew well enough that he needed time in his thoughts. She fell asleep on the pillow beside him.

 _I never deserved such a wonderful partner._

As night fell and the moon replaced the sun, he slipped under the covers and thought of the next day. There was a party for Chloe. He would be skipping. How could he face her after the way he treated her today?

 _Besides, with Alya occupied, someone should keep up the investigation. Jalil mentioned vaults in the museum that were off limits. If someone were to be hiding secrets in there…secrets related to HawkMoth…_

He shut his eyes and made plans in his mind as his thoughts became muddled and dreams swept his consciousness away. Come the morning he would be fully refreshed.

Come the afternoon, everything would change.

 **Things are beginning to dwell deep into the dramatic and mysterious. Things are also gonna be crashing into one another soon in twists and turns so unprepared for and out of nowhere that you guys are going to have to do your best to keep up, because I am writing on little sleep and have no idea how crazy my writing could be now 0_0**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	22. A Familiar Face

On the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Chloe Bourgeois should have awoken feeling like one of the happiest citizens of Paris. She should have jumped out from under the covers, slipped into a new outfit and paraded around the streets until a "surprise" party came knocking. She should have been bragging.

Instead, Chloe Bourgeois sat on the edge of her bed, hugging her pillow while her hair fell over her shoulders with little life. Her eyes felt more tired than any part of her body. No amount of coaxing from Huneyy could bring her out of the stupor. The Kwami felt as though she were with a doll rather than a human.

 _Poor dear has been utterly heartbroken. I never knew her feelings for Graham were this deep._

It took over an hour for her to get ready for the day. She bothered not with wearing anything new and put on the same black and white striped shirt, yellow bolero and white pants she had slipped out of the day before. With the miraculous in her pigtail and no hint of makeup, Chloe made for the door.

"Chloe."

Huneyy hovered behind her as her fingers rested on the doorknob. She made no effort to turn to the Kwami. Huneyy kept her voice resolute. "What about my present?" She waited until Chloe turned back with hands on her hips. Then she flew under the bed and called out, "sit on the couch while I grab it."

Though she had no desire to sit around and open presents, Chloe sat down and crossed her arms. Her heart had slowed to such a slow pace she could have fooled a mortician into thinking she was dead…because it felt like it. She knew anyone else would call her overdramatic, but she was broken. _Broken_.

"Here we are," Huneyy flew out into the open with a small pink package in her hands, "now why not open this before you go out?" She set it on the couch between them and nestled in. "Please be sure to keep the wrapping together so I can throw it out after."

The package had tiny sparkles along the thin ribbons keeping it shut. Carefully Chloe pulled it apart. At first she expected some small piece of jewellery from one of the Parisian shops. As she peered closer into the wrapping, her jaw dropped. Her eyes watered. Her lips quivered. She was quiet as he gently picked the gift up, the wrapping falling to the floor.

"Oh, dear," Huneyy sighed, "so much for not making a mess."

Chloe didn't hear. She was too busy admiring what Huneyy had made for her.

A tiny frame with a brown tinted picture of her mother.

"…Huneyy…I…I…," she felt tears run down her cheeks as she hugged the small picture to her trembling chest, "I have no idea how to thank you."

"Thank me…and Graham."

Chloe stared at Huneyy until the Kwami let out a giggle. "You always look your prettiest when you want to know something." She flew up and onto Chloe's knees. "He feels terrible about what he said to you yesterday. If you look close enough you may notice that the picture is actually not from a camera."

Chloe did. She squinted and made out pencil lines over her eyes and collar. "I never knew he had such a fine hand when it came to drawing, but…where did he get a picture of my mother to draw this from?"

"That is not your mother."

"Of course it is! How could it be anybody else? I would recognize my mother anywhere." As she gave the drawing a second look over, however, she began to notice slightly off details: the collar was too Victorian, the hair was too bouncy, and the eyes were too small. "…If this isn't a picture of my mother, then…who is she?"

Huneyy smiled. "Her name is Gloria Bourgeois – your ancestor." She giggled at the way Chloe awed at the picture in a new light. "Graham drew her from memory. They were good friends two hundred years ago. Close friends. Then…"

Chloe turned to the Kwami as she held the small frame closer to her heart. "What happened? Did she find out his identity? Did he have to save her from a villain?"

"Povas met her in a small French town while he was travelling the world on his own. She was of a very rich family and enjoyed his unique company. She was never in any danger…but, as years passed, she realized something eerie about Graham."

"…He never aged."

"Eventually she fell in love with moved away once married. Povas never saw her again. He had to let her go before he fell in love, too. He has always had her face in his mind, though, and…and when he saw you," she put a hand on Chloe's leg, "he saw Gloria. Or, rather, he saw what he had always assumed her daughter would look like."

Chloe felt her frustrations melting away the longer she gazed into the eyes of her ancestor. "All this time he had to have known. No wonder he never felt for me the way I felt for him…if I even felt for him the way I thought I have."

"What do you mean?"

Chloe laid back, stretching out along the couch as Huneyy fluttered up to her stomach. "After I started being Queen Bee, I noticed how close Adrien and Marinette were becoming. It was only a matter of time before they got together. I was…out of the picture…," she turned her head to the side, "and then I met Graham, and something about the way he held himself together made me so happy to be around. I figured it meant that I had a crush on him…but maybe there has to be more to love than just admiration."

Huneyy was silent for a moment before chuckling. "Darling?"

"Yes?"

The Kwami gave her partner her biggest smile. "You really have become a fine young lady. You know who would be proud?"

Chloe held the picture up and smiled.

"I do."

 **Another little tidbit from the secret life of Graham. I always thought about connecting him to the others through their ancestors, but that felt too cliche, so I went with Chloe being the only one he interacted with. Now, I must state again that I DO NOT SHIP A SIXTEEN AND THREE HUNDRED YEAR OLD. A bit weird for my tastes. However, as things begin to heat up with the party coming soon, there may be a few twists that reveal new possibilities for our heroes...**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	23. Particular Party Preparations

_Knock-knock!_

Chloe sat up as Huneyy dove underneath her bed. She had hidden a bowl of grapes so the Kwami could eat in secret. She placed the picture of Gloria on the coffee table, moved to the door and opened it for Sabrina, who was balancing on her heels and grinning. "About time you got up and ready, Chloe! After all, this is your day…oh," she looked her best friend over, "why are you not wearing the special dress Mayor Bourgeois got you the other day?"

Chloe smirked. "Obviously I had to wait until you were here to do my hair."

Sabrina smacked her own forehead. "Of course!" She came inside and shut the door behind her. "What kind of style should we do today?"

Chloe watched her friend roaming through her large closet, looking for the dress her father had found at a boutiques on the outskirts of the city. The way her friend smiled helped wash away the last of her bitterness.

 _I am a lady now. Ladies do not hold onto the past. If Graham has no feelings for me, than I have to move on. He can come to the party and I can tell him then…no_ , she shook her head and came up beside Sabrina, _I can apologize. We can make it right._

* * *

"Higher, Kim!"

"Any higher and it ends up on the ceiling."

"Sort of the idea."

"Not the way he means, Nathanael!"

"The snacks should be to the left."

"What about the right?"

"Uh…more snacks?"

"Perfect, Juleka!"

Marinette and Alya kept an eye on the banner they had finished that night. 'PRINCESS CHLOE' was written in gold glitter, with purple and pink streamers hanging off the white fabric. Alix and Kim just finished hanging it up, standing on the tallest ladders the girls had ever seen, when Lila ran into the hotel. The entire party was being held in the foyer of the Bourgeois building, thanks to Mayor Bourgeois.

"This is amazing," Lila clapped the girls on the back, "as per usual with your work."

Adrien and Nino set up the DJ tables close by the entrance. Marinette caught the blonde boy as he gave her a wink. "Anything to make the day extra sparkly."

"Is the guest of honour here yet?"

Nathanael walked up with Max. "Sabrina went up to bring her down. We have at the most five to ten minutes before they get down here."

"Nathanael has made the correct calculations," Max pushed his glasses up, "which means that it has come time to prepare for our surprise tactics."

Lila clicked her heel against the floor. "Alright, class, gather around." Once everyone was by her side she glanced at Marinette. "Give me the low down."

Marinette gave a quick salute before gesturing around the foyer. "Presents are hidden behind the counter, the banner and streamers have been lined up, the cake and snacks are along tables by the bottom of the stairs, and music will start in half an hour."

Adrien stood at the back of the group with Nino and Alix. With the ladders away and decorations completed, the foyer looked like an all-out extravaganza. Rose, Juleka and Maylene completely arranged every pink, purple, yellow and white balloon and streamer like professionals.

 _Chloe is going to love this. Marinette and the others have gone above and beyond. How can I ever thank them for making this day so special?_

Adrien was about to scoot through the others and thank Marinette when he noticed someone coming through the main entrance. Mayor Bourgeois has put up a couple signs so people would avoid entering for the party, but as soon as he recognized the smile he grinned. "Joseph, how did you get here?"

His Canadian pen pal entered the hotel in a white tee and jeans, giving a wave as Adrien ran over and shook his hand. "Long time no see, Agreste." He studied the decorations with a whistle. "So, this is the party everyone in Paris seems to be gossiping about. I came by for my acrobatic team to scout out performance areas. Instead the city is busy trying to ignore your mayor while he gets overly emotional talking about his little girl all grown up."

"You guys are coming to do a show in Paris?"

"We were heading to Australia, but with so much congestion in their airports due to a diplomatic meeting being held, no one but politicians and royals can get through."

Adrien scratched his head and glanced over at Alix. "No one but…but what about-"

"Guys," Rose squealed, pointing at the elevator atop the stairs, "Sabrina is bringing Chloe down! We gotta hide! Someone shut the lights out!"

Joseph ran to the lights and switched them off while the class ducked behind the counter and beneath the snack tables. He slipped behind a large café sign as the elevators reached their floor.

 _Ding!_

The doors opened. Sabrina stepped out in a new green blouse and black shorts. She stepped to the side as Chloe walked out in a beautiful yellow dress, flowery lace around her waist and legs. With her hair in a braided bun and eyes glimmering under deep brown shadow, she gave off the impression of a star. She looked around the room.

"…Excuse me?"

Rose poked her head out from behind the counter. "Yes?" Only when a collection of groans had escaped the lips of her classmates did her cheeks go as pink as her dress. "Oopsie."

Joseph switched the lights back on and the entire class hopped into view. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHLOE!" They broke into applause, led by Sabrina, until Chloe felt herself blush. She used to be able to handle so much attention well.

 _So this is being a lady…?_

She recognized all the faces. Even the guy at the back had been around before, though he was not a student. Actually, she was pretty sure he had come for the cake. Still, as the class spread out, she felt her smile falter.

 _…Graham?_

 **I love dressing up Chloe and Sabrina in different outfits! I mean, I adore Sabrina, but her outfit in the show is a bit...off? Too many colours and patterns all at once. The girl wears green well and should own up to it! And yes, while Joseph is in town, it would seem that Graham has not yet arrived...I wonder what out peacock hero could be up to while the cake is being served...**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	24. Investigation Frustrations

Alya was no closer to figuring out who HawkMoth really was. Graham could never blame her. It would be hard admitting the truth to herself, let alone Alix and the others. Entering the museum with a crowd, his disguise once again concealing his identity, he slipped out of the tourists and soon found himself back in front of the Mona Lisa. Arguss peeked out of the shirt pocket, their brooch resting beside her. "Are you sure about this?"

"Jalil mentioned vaults in the basement. I can think of no better place for Mr. Kubdel to hide his secrets from the city. We need to at least check them out."

"What about the party?" She put her hand on his chest. "You know Chloe and the others will be waiting for you."

He gave no response, taking to the next hallway and passing by every exhibit.

 _The last thing Chloe needs is me bringing her party down. Hope Huneyy gave her the gift. If she decides not to mention my part in it, that would be fine…that would be swell. Giving her mixed signals would end terribly…_

His thoughts fled back two hundred years, to the day he met Gloria Bourgeois. She had Chloe's laugh and small nose. They had the same posture. Yet…whenever he thought of Gloria, a girl too far in his past, he thought of how similar Chloe was. Chloe was the daughter he never got to see Gloria have. In his arrogance he had moved on, to keep out of the sight of other heroes. He left her and a possible life behind.

 _Chloe should have never fallen in love with me. I should have never tried treating her different from Ladybug and the others. Seeing Gloria in her smile…now I've gone and hurt her. How can I possibly face her so soon?_

Walking through the Egyptian exhibit led him to a large tablet with hieroglyphics along the sides and a mural in the center. He instantly recognized the two figures. Arguss gaped when she got a good look at the colours and outfits. "Ladybug. Chat Noir. Tikki between the messages. Wonder how long Kubdel had this?"

"It arrived not too long after Ladybug and Chat Noir started showing up to save the day," a voice answered from behind them, "and we keep it as a wonderful tourist attraction."

Graham turned to Jalil as the young man stepped forward with arms full of papers. Arguss kept deep inside the pocket as the boys gazed back up at the tablet. "My father always enjoys trying to figure out the secrets of this tablet," he explained to Graham as tourists passed by. "It had been donated by a French archeologist. Apparently he felt it would be all the rage." He noticed he was the only one chuckling at the joke. "…Is something bothering you?"

Graham shrugged. "I sort of revealed a deep secret today that should have come up sooner than I let it." He glanced at Jalil and knew from his expression what he was thinking. "No, nothing to do with some sort of…crush…at least," he looked away, "not mine."

Jalil shrugged back. "Private information is yours to keep. I want to make sure everyone here has the best time, is all." He tried to shift all the papers in his arms but ended up dropping half of it to their shoes. Graham helped him gather it up. "With father in Australia and Alix at a party, I have to run the entire museum on my own today."

"Need any help?"

Jalil thought for so long a moment Graham was afraid he had frozen in time. "…Well…," he let his smile shrink into a smirk, "can you keep a secret?"

* * *

"Welcome to the secret vaults!"

The basement of the museum actually held a second basement that only employees could enter. Jalil led Graham down the stairs and into a long hall filled with vault doors. They walked until a door at the end of the right wall. Jalil pulled out a key from his pocket, since the boys had split the papers between them, and opened the door. The inside had a couple tables covered in papers about upcoming exhibits and sponsors. They set the papers on the back table and Jalil sighed. "I knew this would be tiring," he yawned, "but this is ridiculous."

"What did you expect?"

"I expected Alix to be around to help when school was out!"

"Is it a holiday?"

"The Mayor always lets school out on Chloe Bourgeois' birthday."

"…Is that legal?"

"Apparently Paris celebrates the birthday of a famous Saint, as well, not that we know who."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

The boys chuckled until the walkie-talkie on Jalil's belt began to buzz. He grabbed it and turned it on. He mouthed 'security guard' to Graham. "How goes the watch?"

"We got a couple people looking to talk to whoever is running the newest exhibition. Think you could come up and talk a bit?"

"Of course!" Jalil raced out of the vault, only stopping for a second to toss Graham the keys. "I hope you know how to lock up!" He gave a wave before racing off and up the stairs at the end of the hallway. Graham glanced down at the keys.

 _…That was extremely easy._

Arguss peeked out of his shirt pocket. "Now we can find the secrets!"

He stepped out and locked the vault behind them. "And I know just where to start." He pointed to the vault at the end of both hallways, three locks over the door. "Not even Jalil will know the truth behind that door."

After making quick work of the locks, Graham slipped into the room and shut the door behind himself. He found a light switch and turned the lights on. Once his vision grew accustomed, he looked around the room.

"…Oh…oh…"

Arguss was just as taken back. "This is very, very bad."

What they had found was slowly putting pieces into place.

Dangerous pieces.

 _Deadly_ pieces.

 **Still have tendinitis, so no author comments for a couple more days. Hope you guys are enjoying the story!**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	25. Rise of the Dancer

Graham backed against the vault door. Arguss shivered inside his short pocket. The dim light in the room did nothing to clear away the terror of what they had just found.

A body.

A _dead_ body.

A dead body that reminded him too much of Adrien.

 _This is…Mrs. Agreste!_

Inside a glass coffin was a beautiful blonde woman with her hands crossed over her chest and her long hair spread out behind her shoulders. She laid in a long white gown with droopy sleeves, on top of a light blue pillow and blanket. A crown of daisies rested on her head to match the white slippers over her pale feet. Graham felt as if he was facing the coffin of a medieval queen…only, this queen was supposed to be at the bottom of a Tibetan mountain.

"What does this mean, Graham?!"

"It means that HawkMoth is closer to attempting a resurrection than we feared."

"We have to get the others!"

Graham stepped forward until he was right beside the coffin. Under the coffin it was as if time had never touched Mrs. Agreste. Somehow Mr. Kubdel has used his museum connections to get her body out of the mountain and into his basement…he shivered just thinking about it. Adrien was going to freak…how had Mr. Agreste not freaked?

 _Unless he has no idea._

Arguss flew out of his pocket and sat on the coffin. "This is so much darker than anything you and I have faced. This is getting out of control."

"We can stop him."

"We?"

"Povas, Ladybug, Chat Noir, Queen Bee and Vixen." Graham leaned down and examined the peaceful expression on Mrs. Agreste's face. "No more hiding. No more keeping secrets. Even if it costs me my sight…we have to tell the others."

"Are you sure? After three hundred years-"

"This is no longer just us versus HawkMoth – this is us versus the fate of reality. If he tries to go any farther with his plan…"

Neither finished his statement. Both knew what could happen. The uncertainty of messing with reality and time was enough to put a damper on their spirits. Graham turned back to the door. He picked the right keys to lock the coffin in behind them. "We can come back for her with officers. Then Ladybug and the rest of us can-!"

Something was wiggling its way under the door. Graham crouched to get a closer look. He had no idea the museum had a rat infestation…or a cockroach infestation…or…!

 _Butterfly._

He crawled back up against the coffin as a dark butterfly popped into the room. Arguss gasped. "HawkMoth knows we came!"

Of course he does. Mr. Kubdel never went to Australia. He stayed in Paris and hid away. Now he has me trapped in his vault room!

"You have to transform before it akumatizes you! Heroes are safe inside their costumes! Hurry, before the akuma-"

Graham had to jump over the coffin to avoid being hit by the akuma as it fluttered about. Arguss grabbed the peacock brooch and flew out of its reach. Graham glanced back at the bottom of the vault. He groaned.

Three more were slipping under the door.

Then three more.

Graham was now backed up against the far wall of the room. A huge cloud of akumas had taken to the other side, pouring out from under the door and collecting in front of the locks. In less than a moment he was unable to see the door behind the indigo wings. "Arguss, get out of here."

"Not without you!"

The cloud of akumas was hovering closer…closer…closer…Graham gave Arguss one final grin.

"Bring the others together."

"Graham!"

The akumas enveloped him. Arguss shrieked, nearly dropping the brooch as she raced out of the room. In seconds she was outside the museum and racing towards the Bourgeois hotel. She had to get the other heroes.

 _Hold on, Graham, hold on!_

Back in the vault room, an emotional battle was stirring. Over a hundred akumas were possessing Graham through his army boots. He could feel them inside his brain. They were trying to get him as sad, as scared, and as angry as humanly possible, and then some. He writhed on the vault floor in pain, head in his hands as he tried shaking off their influence. He was so focused on trying to keep himself happy that he didn't hear someone walk into the vault and loom over him. When he finally opened his eyes, panting and sweating profusely, he found HawkMoth looking down at him like he was some cheap rug.

"I was hoping we could have a heart to heart chat before I finished my mission."

Graham tried to spit on his shoes but ended up letting out a groan. HawkMoth leaned against the coffin without a care in the world. "How kind of you to befriend my son while he works alone. I was worried he was becoming a tad antisocial in his work."

Graham could barely speak. It hurt to open his mouth. It hurt to breathe. "You…have…to…stop. This…is…evil!"

HawkMoth could see Graham drifting away. "This is love."

 _I have to fight it…I have to fight it…I have to fight…I have to…I have…I…I…_

Darkness enveloped his body. He stood before HawkMoth in his old _Eye of Hera_ outfit, a black jumpsuit, fingerless gloves, and hood with thick mesh face cover. This time, however, the trim was bright purple instead of blue, and the eye on his face cover was now a butterfly. HawkMoth held his staff out and smirked.

"Welcome to the fold at last, Performer. I need you to…well, you should know better than any other akuma what has to be done."

Performer knocked his knuckles together. "Break the heroes until I can rip the miraculous from their bodies."

"…Dark…but yes." He walked around the coffin and opened the vault door. "Bourgeois hotel is your destination."

Performer ran out of the room and dashed down the hall. HawkMoth glanced back at the coffin and gently traced his gloved hand over the glass.

"Just a little bit more time…"

 **Things are only going to get darker from here folks, and I will not be backing down! The time has come for a few final confrontations, and it all starts with a party crash followed by so many shocks and revelations that I might need an aspirin after all this! I hope you guys are enjoying the story.**

 **P.S for those who are shipping ChloexGraham...just...just hold on...just a little bit...things are gonna get interesting...**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	26. Joseph Talks to a Stranger, Kind of

"Now _this_ is a party!"

Nino worked the DJ table at one end of the foyer while Ivan made balloon animals with Maylene at the other. Sabrina helped Chloe open up all the gifts her classmates had made and bought for her while the girls sat around, giggling and comparing wrapping paper. Nathanael handed Chloe the comic he had drawn for her, _The Adventures of Princess Chloe_ now resting beside her as she sat on the counter and beamed. Adrien and Marinette danced to the jumpy music alongside Alix and Juleka. The hotel was overflowing with excitement.

 _This is my best birthday party ever! Why have I never invited the entire class over before? Not to mention all the gifts, heh-heh!_

Even the new guy Joseph was enjoying the party. He stood off to the side of the gifts with Kim and chatted away about differences between Canadian and French gym classes. There was only one thing missing from the party.

 _Graham._

Alya handed wrapping to Lila and Rose and held her phone up. "Give me a big smile, Chloe, and tell us the best thing about today!"

Chloe grinned and gave the camera a queenly wave. "The best thing about today has to be how bright the hotel is thanks to the party! Never has this placed been filled with such life and colour! I feel ten years younger!"

"…So you feel like a six year old?"

Kim heard the remark and snickered, walking away from Joseph and to the counter. "A six year old hyped up on cake."

Chloe gasped. "I only had one piece!"

" _One?!_ This is your birthday party! You have to at least have _three_! Then you can work if off in a three mile jog around the District."

"Ugh! What sort of monster _are_ you?"

Joseph smiled as the entire party burst into a fit of laughter. He knew little about Chloe and had really only come to see Adrien and grab some cake, but she seemed a decent girl. He noted the way she giggled at the sight of Adrien and Marinette cuddling up close as they danced.

 _He never mentioned a girl in our pen pal letters._

He was about to join in on the dancing and show off some acrobatic moves he had been working on back home, when he saw something out the corner of his eye. He turned to the glass entrance to find a hooded figure standing outside. His heart skipped a beat.

 _Eye of Hera?_

The outfit was too similar not to be the famed dancer. Graham had told him the truth about his faked death the last time Joseph was in Paris, pretending to be a master thief. Now he saw some eerie stranger wearing his performing outfit, coming towards the hotel? For a moment he raised his hands for a fight.

 _…What am I doing?_

He chuckled at his insecurity. This was a party. Obviously someone had hired a dancer to work with the music. With no one by the doors he decided to greet the guy and let him inside. Once by the glass he let them slide open and stepped outside. The dancer came forward with his face hidden behind thick mesh and a butterfly sigil where his expression should have been. Joseph whistled at the sight. "You a fan of _Eye of Hera_?"

Performer said nothing as he whipped his arms towards the acrobat.

* * *

Adrien and Marinette were so lost in each other that they never noticed Joseph leave the hotel. Both were busy trying not to trip over each other's feet as the music slowed to a romantic crawl. Nino gave Adrien a thumbs up. He rolled his eyes before returning his gaze to Marinette. "How could I never see it before?"

"See what?"

"You and Ladybug as the same person. The more I think about it the more obvious it becomes. So brave and smart and talented…," he looked to his feet, "and me, making jokes and flirting all this time."

Marinette sighed and raised his head back up by his chin. "It will certainly take time accepting how corny your sense of humour is, but you and Chat are still the same hero, courageous and witty and loyal."

"Would you ever choose anyone else?"

"Not on your life."

They chuckled and rested their foreheads on one another. The music was beginning to pick up the pace. They would need to start jiving again to keep up-

 _Zzzziiiipppp!_

The disks slipped off the DJ table and clattered to the floor. The entire foyer went silent. Adrien and Marinette glanced at Nino to find him gawking at the hotel entrance. "Nino, what-"

"Eep!"

Marinette, Adrien, Alya, Chloe and the rest of the class spun around as two figures stepped into the foyer: a masked figure in an _Eye of Hera_ outfit with a butterfly on the mask, and Joseph with his arms bent behind his back, his hands unable to make contact. Performer gazed around at the classmates as they backed away in shock. Rose, the one who had made the 'eep' sound, shook in her shoes and leaned against Juleka. "G-G-Graham is an a-a-akuma!"

"Not possible," Max pushed his glasses up, "considering the terrible fire that took his life weeks ago. This has to be an imposter that HawkMoth has turned into a Graham replica."

The class was willing to agree – until the akuma spoke.

"I have come for the miraculous."

"N-No way," Lila stammered beside Nathanael, "t-that voice…it is Graham!"

Chloe, Alya, Adrien and Marinette all shared the same horrifying realization.

 _Povas got akumatized!_

"You will call me Performer," he cinched the arms of Joseph tighter, "and you will bring me the miraculous of Ladybug, Chat Noir, Queen Bee and Vixen."

Joseph grit his teeth to keep from yelping in pain. His arms were on fire. He glanced at Adrien. If he did nothing, then his friend would have to reveal himself. He looked back over his shoulder at Graham. "No idea how you survived the fire, bro, but you can end this now by-"

"Oh," Performer cut him off, "I know how to end this."

 _SNAP!_

 **Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh something broke 0_0**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	27. Dance to the Silence

_My party is officially ruined._

Everybody in the foyer froze at the sound of something breaking. Joseph gasped, fainted, and fell to the ground as Performer let him go. Rose and Maylene hugged one another as Juleka, Kim and Ivan stood in front of them, Chloe and Sabrina. Lila took to the front of the group and spread her arms out. Her voice was dead serious. "Graham. _What. Have. You. Done_."

"I am Performer. Graham is no longer here." He kicked Joseph aside and took a menacing step closer to Lila. "Hand over the miraculous and you can all go free. Try and get away with them," he raised his left foot, "and you will pay." He brought his boot down to the floor.

 _BOOM!_

The entire hotel went dark. Everyone stumbled around for each other. Marinette, Adrien, Chloe and Alya dashed to the far corners of the foyer to transform. They had only seconds before one of the other students noticed their absence.

"TIKKI, SPOTS ON!"

"PLAGG, CLAWS OUT!"

"HUNEYY, STRIPE IT UP!"

"TRIXX, TAIL ME!"

The foyer was suddenly lit up by blue and purple lights shooting from various points in the roof. The class tripped over one another as the windows, elevators and doors were sealed shut by thick streamers. Performer set his outfit trim ablaze in neon violet. Nino ducked beneath the DJ table. "HawkMoth akumatized a zombie!"

Students hid behind the counter. No one was sure how to accept Graham being alive and attacking them. He stalked across the foyer. Once he was at the center, Alix and Nathanael carefully dragged Joseph out of the way. Rose leaned over and tried reviving him. "I think his arms," she trembled, "are…he…Graham… _b-broke them_!"

Performer looked around as another purple sigil appeared over his mask. " _Ladybug and the rest are trapped in the hotel with you. Do whatever it takes to grab their miraculous and get back so I can finally revive my true love_!"

Sabrina gulped and looked around. "What do you think we should do, Chloe?" She looked over the crowd behind the counter with her.

"…Chloe?"

Performer was ready to start grabbing more hostages from the foyer when he noted four figures on the stairs. "Ah… _heroes_."

Ladybug smirked. Chat Noir showed off his claws. Queen Bee hovered above the steps. Vixen twirled her flute. The class slowly peeked over the counter and began cheering.

"We know you can do it!"

"Beat him to a pulp!"

"Show Graham he has no right scaring us like this!"

"Turn the lights back on!"

 _This is terrible_ , Ladybug shared the same thought pattern as the others, _Graham is not only being controlled by HawkMoth, but now the entire class knows he faked his death! What will Lila and Nathanael say about the fire he accidentally put them through? How will the media react to the truth? Where will he stay now?_

Queen Bee looked around to make sure there were no stragglers. Joseph was safe with the others for now. She noted something small and blue hiding behind one of the potted plants nearby the elevators.

 _Arguss and the peacock miraculous!_

The Kwami gave her a look of fear and regret. Clearly Graham had sent her away for safety, and now there was no way to get him to transform until the akuma was vanquished. She gave Arguss a signal to be quiet, finger to her lips.

 _We can fix this. Graham will not be under control for long. Not on my birthday of all days. None shall get away with ruining the celebrations of a Bourgeois!_

Performer kept his eyes on the heroes as they readied with their weapons. He cracked both of his knuckles and smacked them together, energizing the neon trim of his outfit and the butterfly sigil on his mask. His fingerless gloves glowed the brightest, and as he whipped his hands around in a rhythmic stance, beams of energy blazed the air. Queen Bee gulped.

 _If we touch those beams, we may lose more than our miraculous._

"Chat Noir is our best bet," Ladybug told the others, "so we need to focus on cutting off all of his lights and dropping the foyer back into darkness. Vixen, the left! Queen Bee, the right! Get ready to attack, Chat! I'll distract him! Now _split_!"

Chat Noir kept low as the girls leapt to their respective duties. Ladybug landed inches from Performer's face and began whipping her yo-yo around him, but he nimbly flipped out of the way, the back of his heels catching on her chin and toppling her backwards.

Lila watched over the counter and gasped as the heroine tried once again to get a hit, only for Performer to kick her out of range. "I never knew death gave people such strength! Graham is insane!"

Sabrina poked her head up beside Lila and watched Ladybug block Performer as he attempted to punch her spotted earrings off. Then she dragged Lila back down between the other classmates. "Help me find Chloe."

"Ask Adrien!"

"Help me find _him_!"

"Ask Marinette!"

"No can do!"

"Alya will know!"

Sabrina moaned as they shoved each other in the pitch black behind the counter. "How can the four of them just vanish like this?"

"It is pretty dark without any of those flashy lights reaching over the counter."

Chat Noir heard the girls talking over the fighting and destruction of lights. His ears twitched and his senses went on high alert. They were beginning to look for them!

 _Sooner or later the glass is gonna realize we are nowhere near the counter, and once they put two and two together, our identities will be known for sure!_

Queen Bee cracked the last light on her side with her honey whip. "All clear!"

Vixen took out the final light on her side with the end of her flute. "All clear!"

Ladybug smirked and jumped back behind Chat Noir and the other heroines. Performer readied to head towards the stairs.

Until the foyer dropped back into darkness.

 **Sorry this took so long to post, was having trouble editing the document. Anyway, now we have a fight on our hands, and in the dark, no less! Performer's powers are really based on his showmanship, lights and dance moves and energy - literal energy! Good thing Chat Noir has night vision ;) And yeah, this is gonna get dark. Poor Joseph will be sitting this battle out. Here's hoping he's the only one...**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	28. Shedding Some Light on the Matter

Nothing could be seen in the hotel foyer, save for the violet outline of Performer and his glowing gloves. The only one who could make out the room was Chat Noir. His night vision gave him the advantage as he stealthily creeped down the stairs. His steps were hidden beneath the murmurs of the class.

"How is Graham even alive?!"

"Where has he been hiding this whole time?!"

"Eek!"

"Chloe and the others must be hiding across the room with Nino!"

"Alone over here by the table, dudes and dudettes!"

"That was my leg, Rose."

"T-Thought it was a-a ghost!"

"Graham has turned into an evil dancer, not a spirit."

"W-What if he _is_ a ghost under there?!"

Chat Noir had no time to wonder whether or not HawkMoth had akumatized Graham into some mix between ghost and dancer. He was on the ground level now and was crawling closer towards Performer. He noted the bright laces of the boots and butterflies on the heels.

 _Vixen was right about his shoes being where the akuma lies. Graham may have been able to do a ton of different moves on his head and hands, but most of his dancing worked around the way he managed to coordinate his boots on stage._

All he had to do was grab the shoes away. Ladybug and the others would keep Performer busy while he activated his cataclysm and destroyed the boots. Then they could cleanse the akuma and fix up the party before anyone figured out who he and the girls really were. All he had to do was his part without getting caught – it was a piece of birthday cake!

Back by Performer, Ladybug was inches from his face with her yo-yo at the ready. Before he could react, she wrapped the wire around his arms, keeping him from grabbing her. She stepped back and tried to admire her work in the darkness; she was working solely on the light that was emitting from his glowing trim. "Done here, Chat-"

 _Bam!_

Performer smashed his forehead against Ladybug's, causing her to stumble back. The wire on his arms loosened, allowing him to remove it and yank the yo-yo away from her. She tried to reach out for her weapon, but he used the darkness to his advantage and slipped behind her. She was about to call for backup when he reached up for her ears.

 _The miraculous!_

Ladybug rolled out of his reach and faced his outline again, though without her yo-yo. She heard him snap it in half and toss it aside. No one had ever broken the yo-yo before. How was she to cleanse him of the akuma without de-transforming and risking her identity being revealed?!

 _Ugh, Graham, why do you have to be such a strong akuma?!_

Queen Bee and Vixen moved to the table where Nino was hiding. Neither knew when they were to jump in and assist Ladybug. They could barely see the fight. Vixen brought the flute to her lips.

We need some form of light.

She blew out a sweet tune. A tiny lightbulb appeared on the shoulder of each hero, giving them a chance to see. Ladybug was facing Performer while Chat Noir crawled down the stairs. Queen Bee hovered above the fight. "Need a hand, Ladybug?"

Ladybug smirked. "Just a moment."

Performer shifted his stance to be ready for her next move. Ladybug noted the shift and jumped into the air. She spun, whipping her leg down onto his head. She was aiming to knock him down so Chat Noir could get the shoes.

Except that he caught her foot and swung her right up into Queen Bee, knocking them into the snack table and covering their outfits in icing and candy. Queen Bee sat up and spit out a gob of icing. "Curse his three hundred years of experience."

"CATALCYSM!" Chat Noir lunged at Performer. If he could just get the shoes off then he could end the whole fight. He aimed his claws at the boots-

Performer grabbed him by the wrists. "Patience is a virtue, Chat Noir." Then he tossed Chat into the counter, toppling him over the surface until he landed on top of Ivan. His cataclysm clawed against the counter, destroying the structure and leaving the class with no protection. Ivan helped Chat into a sitting position.

"This guy a bit tougher than most?"

Chat could only moan in agreement.

Queen Bee watched as her counter was demolished. "Girls," she snapped, "team up on this bully before he tears the entire foyer apart!"

She, Vixen and Ladybug charged at Performer from three different directions. Chat Noir got in behind him and kept the akuma in the middle of the group. They began to make headway with a barrage of team attacks, actually bringing him to his knees. Queen Bee wrapped him up with her whip. Chat Noir held his baton to Performer's neck. Vixen readied to trap him in an illusion. Ladybug stood before him as their lightbulbs glowed.

"It is over, Performer."

 _Now to figure out how to get some privacy so I can bring the yo-yo back-?_

Performer stood despite the baton, whip and flute at the ready. He looked down on Ladybug with menacingly deep breaths. He leaned in close to her so only she could hear.

"I have gone undefeated for three hundred years. You have no chance of stopping me no matter how I battle you…petite pecan."

She shivered. Her mistake. Performer kicked out her feet from under her before dropping onto his head and spinning. His feet kicked the flute, whip handle and baton out of their hands. He got back to his feet and jumped out of their reach, landing on the stairs. He undid the whip and used it to grab Vixen by the wrist. He yanked her all the way to the top of the stairs before pinning her down before him. The class stood. The heroes froze.

His hands reached around her throat…

 **Things are about to get a lot more complicated for our heroes if things go according to Performer's plans. I hope you guys don't think I've made Graham too OP, but he HAS been doing this for a lot longer than any of them - even Master Fu is an amateur compared to him! Don't worry, things always swing in the favour of the heroes...but sometimes, not without a cost...**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	29. Happy Birthday to - Queen Bee?

_Snap!_

Performer ripped the fox necklace off Vixen's neck.

 _Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!_

The lightbulbs above the heroes burst, shrouding the foyer in darkness once again.

 _Ping-ping!_

Two new spotlights shone from the ceiling and centered on Performer and Vixen. Ladybug and Nino gasped. Chat Noir and Queen Bee gawked. The entire classroom was mystified - because it was no longer the fox heroine in the grasp of the akuma.

It was Alya.

She wanted to avert her gaze from her classmates and fellow heroes. She wanted to speak with Trixx, who was still in the miraculous. She wanted Performer to give her feeling back in her arm. Instead, she looked straight into each of the eyes of her friends. She had to.

Nino stumbled out beside Chat Noir as Performer forced Alya to her feet and held the miraculous out for the class to see. Another four spotlights shone over the classmates and heroes. "Children. Each of your precious heroes is nothing but a child quivering behind a mask. Reveal yourselves," he clenched his finger around the pendant, "or I shall crush both the miraculous and the arms of your fellow classmate."

" _Performer_ ," HawkMoth snapped in his ears, " _this had better be a trick on your part, because if you damage the miraculous, I will personally bury you ten feet under the museum_!"

Alya could finally make out the expression on all their faces. Nino was flabbergasted. Chat Noir was confused. Queen Bee looked irritated, likely because she had not figured out her identity on her own terms. Ladybug…looked hurt. It was no longer Ladybug and Vixen locking eyes. It was Marinette and Alya looking each other over.

 _I wish we could have had to confidence to tell one another sooner…_

Nino seemed in a daze as he approached the stairs and stopped at the bottom step. He looked up at Alya as though having seen her for the first time. "You and Vixen…are the same person?"

She gave him a sad smile. "Told you I was foxy."

"You never told me!"

"Part of a secret identity is keeping it a secret."

Nino pouted. "Superman told Lois Lane."

Alya awkwardly chuckled. "Superman is a better hero than me."

Queen Bee began to hover, higher and higher, hands on her hips as she shot Performer a look. "I speak for all of us when I say that it was pretty obvious Alya was Vixen." She saw Alya rolling her eyes. "You have nothing against us, Performer, so put her your hands up and maybe we will go easy on you-"

"Chloe?"

Her words caught in her throat. She glanced over to find Sabrina staring up at her, Lila beside her with an equally confused expression. Soon the entire class was looking her way as Sabrina wiped a tear from her eye. "Are you…are you really a…a superhero?"

 _I knew I should have made a decoy before disappearing._

Performer pulled Alya closer. "Tell them the truth, Queen Bee, or else." He began to bend her arms back the same way he had with Joseph. Farther…farther…Alya began to moan in pain. She could see the strain Chat Noir had in holding Ladybug back before they made it worse.

 _Uuuuuggggghhhhhh…you are so paying for this later, Graham._

Queen Bee turned to the class and put a hand to her chest. "Of course I'm a superhero, Sabrina! I mean, who else could ever be this fabulous? And before you say anything about me keeping this a secret from my best friend," she dove down and hovered inches from her face, "let me tell you a thing about fighting crime."

Sabrina blinked back the water in her eyes. "Y-Yeah?"

Queen Bee backed up so the rest of the class could see her. "Being a hero means that Alya, Chat Noir, Ladybug and I are willing to risk our lives for your safety, not the other way around. We keep our secrets to keep you safe. You think I enjoyed not being able to brag about being such an awesome hero?"

The class settled on a murmuring of "no" and "hard for Chloe of all people". Her eye twitched, but she was happy to be getting the point across.

"Exactly! I would love to share everything I do in vivid detail so you know how talented I am as a superhero, but we have rules for a reason!" Now she was specifically looking at Sabrina with a smile. "We have to keep you guys in the dark…to keep you from being hurt by the darkness."

 _Hah. I rock at giving speeches._

Ladybug could see the class slowly accepting what Queen Bee, aka Chloe Bourgeois, was telling them. She looked back at Alya, who was still being held against Performer. She had hidden her identity from her best friend. How could she judge her best friend for making the same choice? It was unfair. It felt _wrong_.

 _It means we care for each other._

Chat Noir took her hand as they faced the class, who were looking their way now. Expecting to be told their identities. Queen Bee flew down beside Ladybug and nudged her arm. "About time we found out who really works under those spots." The way she was smiling made her a little bit envious.

 _Wish I was as confident as Chloe._

Nino never took his eyes off of Alya, even as Lila narrowed her eyes at Ladybug. "So if Chloe is Queen Bee and Alya is Vixen, you two have to be…," she looked around the class and peered into the darkest corners of the foyer, her eyes widening on the realization, "oh. Oh, no. Nope. No way. You two-"

Juleka took the fun out of the reveal. "Adrien? Marinette? You guys are Ladybug and Chat Noir? Like, since the beginning?"

Awkward silence ensued. Performer kept Alya from running down and giving the pair a big hug. Nino finally tore his eyes away from her and gawked at Chat Noir. Queen Bee took a step back in horror. "Adrien makes terrible puns?! Marinette is my idol?!"

Chat Noir meekly waved. "Uh…happy birthday?"

 **AND THE IDENITIES ARE OUT IN THE OPEN, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM...except for HawkMoth, but we'll get there, I promise. Now we get to see the class try and wrap their heads around their friends, and even best friends, being superheroes! How will they take this news? How will this change the tide of the fight against Performer? How DID Chloe manage to hide such fabulousness for so long?!**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	30. Feeling Slightly Off

Nino gladly spoke for the rest of the class as he had a mild panic attack.

"How could you never have told us that you four were _superheroes_?! After all the dangers we've faced because of HawkMoth, and you never _once_ thought to let us in?! You thought it would be better to let us keep _guessing_ rather than helping you?! You never _trusted_ us enough to help you when it mattered most?! Do you think you guys are better than us?!"

Alya could feel strange vibrations running through Performer as he pinned her arms behind her back. He murmured under his mask. "Music to my ears."

 _Okay, totally not creepy._

Lila was giving Ladybug a look that sent shivers down her spine. She pulled Nathanael back and clenched her fists. "It was you. All this time it was you, Marinette. You embarrassed me in front of Adrien. You left me and Nathanael in a fire. You put your identity before our safety! How can you expect me to trust you?!"

The glow was Performer was brightening. Alya felt his skin warming.

 _Okay…_

Chloe was having a hard time processing what she had learned. "Adrien and Chat Noir are one in the same…Marinette and Ladybug are one in the same…Alya and Vixen are one in the same…I think my head is about to burst."

Performer was gripping her wrists so tight Alya was losing feeling in her fingers.

 _Uh…?_

The class was overloading with emotions, ranging from shock to frustration to denial. Ladybug, Chat Noir and Queen Bee closed together as Nino crossed his arms. "I hope you three – no," he glanced at Alya, "you four, know what this means…hey," he noted the fear on Alya's face, "am I interrupting something over there?"

Alya frantically nodded as Performer straightened. "You need to stop getting emotional before-!"

 _Too late!_

Performer lifted Alya into the air with one hand, the other still clinging to the fox miraculous and keeping Trixx locked inside. He tossed Alya at Nino, knocking the two of them into Chat and the heroines and pummeling the group into the floor. He dangled the miraculous in front of himself. "I applaud you for the power boost."

Nino helped Alya to her feet as Ladybug helped the others. "What just happened?"

"Performer is powered by our emotions! Every time we get angry of scared he gets stronger! We need to stop fighting each other and start fighting _him_!"

"You have no way of fighting without the necklace!"

"Neither will the others," Performer said, "if they hope to keep the fox intact." He was closing his fingers around the pendant, squeezing harder and harder. "Hand over the earrings, hair comb and ring."

Alya gasped. "Trixx! If you crush it, she could disappear!"

Nino cocked an eyebrow. "Who is Trixx?"

Ladybug knew that risking the life of a Kwami was unthinkable. She glanced at Queen Bee and Chat Noir. She glanced at Alya and Nino. She glanced at Sabrina, Lila and Nathanael. Then she glanced at Performer.

 _This is going to be risky…but we have little other choice._

She dropped her head in defeat. "Alright. We surrender the miraculous."

The entire foyer gasped. "WHAT?!"

"We have to."

Chat took her hand again and leaned in close. "There has to be another way."

She looked him in the eye. "You have to trust me."

Nino muttered something about lack of trust, but Chat Noir ignored him.

 _She has a plan…as always, Marinette is on top of things._

He made the first move, sliding the ring off his finger and causing his suit to vanish. He placed it in his palm and turned to Nino. "I really did want to tell you."

Nino stared hard at Adrien for the longest moment of his life. Then he let out a sigh like an elder. "Dude, you so owe me. I am not kidding. We gotta have a long, long, _long_ talk about when secrets are chill and when secrets are unchill."

"Deal."

Queen Bee removed her hair comb and returned to her dress and braided bun. Sabrina stepped up beside her. "I still trust you, Chloe."

"Of course you do," she smirked, "because you and I are best friends and can let nothing stand in our way." She gave her a thumbs up. Sabrina gave a thumbs up back.

Performer walked down the stairs. Each step echoed off the walls of the foyer. The class, Sabrina and Nino included, stepped back from Ladybug, Adrien, Alya and Chloe. He was tossing the fox miraculous in the air over and over until he reached the floor. "Perhaps you still have some hopes of wisdom. I commend your choice." He halted before the heroes. "This way we can avoid any further violence." He held his hand out for the miraculous.

 _Hope what Ladybug has works_ , Adrien thought as he and Chloe put their miraculous in his hand, _because he cannot give these to HawkMoth under any circumstances._

All that was left were the earrings. Ladybug and Performer stood toe to toe, her hands on her ears and his free hand open. "This can all be over in seconds," he whispered, "and you can go back to living a normal life."

Ladybug looked to her classmates, each staring at her with hope or regret.

 _Nothing will ever be normal again._

"Is that it?" Lila stomped her heel against the tiled floor. "You give up after a few sharp remarks from your friends?" She crossed her arms. "Not as heroic as we thought."

 _Can she ever be pleased?!_

Rose was sniffling and holding onto Juleka and Maylene by their arms. "You aren't really going to give up, are you, Marinette?"

Juleka tilted her head. "The Marinette I know never gives up."

Maylene nodded. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng, you don't need a mask to be a hero."

Ladybug felt her cheeks warming as the rest of the class wholeheartedly agreed.

 _…Just what I needed to hear._

Then she removed her earrings and tossed them into Performer's hand.

 **Sorry this was a little bit late, I had to get a Police Check for my new job :D anyway, I tried making their reactions as realistic as possible. I mean, how would YOU react to finding out your best friends were your heroes? Pretty crazy. Now we have to hope that Marinette has a brilliant plan, or else Performer will be making off with the miraculous!**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	31. Povas Power!

_Please work. Please work. Please work. Please work!_

Performer held the four miraculous in his hands. He glanced at a potted plant near the elevator. "Now for the peacock miraculous."

The class gasped as Arguss appeared from the darkness and fluttered over to his hands. In hers was the peacock brooch, which she reluctantly dropped into his palms. She flew beside Nino, who gawked at her appearance. "…Are you an alien?"

She was so sad at the loss of Graham and the miraculous, she shook her head and actually gave him an answer. "I am a Kwami. I power the miraculous."

"Those things are powered by Kwami?"

"We give them their powers."

"You only appear to heroes unless provoked?"

"Indeed."

Nino glanced at Adrien sympathetically. "Aliens in your jewellery. I can see why you wanted to keep this a secret."

Marinette made everyone back away from Performer as he looked the miraculous over. "So you have what you came for. Go. Find HawkMoth and…and end this."

Lila grumbled about giving up too easily and stormed over to her side. She took Marinette by the hand and looked deep into her eyes. "You better have a plan."

"I caused you to turn into an akuma because I was jealous of how you were flirting with Adrien, and I let you get caught in a fire because I was too busy sightseeing." She gave Lila a sad smirk. "How can you not trust me to have a plan?"

Lil did not smile back, but she continued to hold her hand. Adrien took the other, and Nino took his, and Alya took his. Nathanael held Lila by her other hand, Sabrina on his other side, Chloe on her other side. Soon enough the entire class was holding hands. Arguss rested on the shoulder of Marinette. Performer stood alone against the entire party, save for Joseph, who continued to keep quiet in his almost comatose state behind the destroyed counter.

"Go ahead," Marinette dared Performer with a more confident smirk, "and find HawkMoth. Go ahead and give up the miraculous…Povas."

Performer froze. His muscles seemed to pause in time. Then, slowly but surely, his fingers began to tremble. He tried slowing his left hand with his right, dropping the miraculous as he held his wrist. "What," his arms were quivering, "is happening…no…no!"

Lila glanced at Marinette as Performer staggered back. "Uh-"

"Wait for it."

"Wait for what?"

Marinette watched Performer intently as he shook his head.

 _You've been a superhero for nearly three hundred years, Graham – if anyone can break out of the control of an akuma, it has to be you!_

Performer let out a growl and reached for the miraculous again. Chloe snapped her fingers, and in seconds he was being held back by Ivan and Kim. "Marinette," she glanced over, "if this is going to work, we need her help."

Alya looked to Arguss. Marinette stepped forward and grabbed the peacock brooch. Arguss let her hands rest on the blue painted feathers. "We can do this. We _can_."

The butterfly sigil on his mask was glowing so bright, the class had to momentarily look away or be blinded. " _I am in control_ ," they could actually hear HawkMoth yelling at Performer, " _and you cannot break free without the power of the ladybug miraculous_!"

Performer tried shaking Ivan and Kim off to no avail. Adrien grabbed the other miraculous from the floor as Marinette ran up and clipped the brooch onto the front of the black suit. "Come on, Graham," she murmured, "we need you."

" _You cannot win, Marinette Dupain-Cheng_!"

The class gasped at the mention of her real name. Adrien pulled her back as Performer finally got Ivan and Kim off by shoving them aside. " _Adrien Agreste, Chloe Bourgeois, Alya_ _Césaire_ ," the voice was growing louder, " _none of you can stand against me! I am in control! I WILL TAKE THE MIRACULOUS WHETHER OR NOT YOU SURVIVE THE CONFRONTATION! THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN SAY TO STOP_ -"

"Stop!"

Graham was speaking from inside the costume. Performer had his arms forced to his chest and his hands forced onto the brooch, but it was too late. The peacock feathers began to glow. Chloe ran over, slipped the mask off and pushed the hood off his head. Graham opened his eyes as Adrien pulled her back. His pupils were glowing purple. He grit his teeth and fought against the way his arms were shaking.

"Get…down…now…ARGUSS! ALL EYES ON ME!"

" _No_ ," HawkMoth yelled, " _how can you_ -?!"

The brooch shone a bright blue. His akuma outfit shone a bright violet. The two outfits fought for control of his body. Blue feathers crawled over his legs and onto the boots. Suddenly, over a hundred white butterflies shot forth into the air and circled him, before blasting out like a wave. The class hit the floor on their stomachs and sides as the butterflies crashed through the windows and foyer doors, ripping apart the streamers and letting sunlight into the building. For a moment there was no sound beyond their breathing. Finally Chloe glanced back at Graham.

"…Povas?"

Fully suited in his miraculous costume, Povas swayed on his feet with clear but dreary eyes. Ivan and Kim caught him before he fell and carefully sat him down on the bottom steps. The others surrounded him. Chloe sat beside him as Sabrina knelt at her side. "Are you okay underneath that mask, Graham?"

Povas rubbed his temples. "Thanks to you guys and Arguss, I was able to cleanse the akuma with my peacock powers…though," he glanced at the broken counter and unconscious Joseph, "this is the price for not properly releasing them."

Lila took Nathanael by the hand and glared at Graham. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

"More than you know." He locked eyes with Alya and let out a tired breath. "Alya…Vixen…we need to know the truth."

"What are you saying?"

Povas did not back down despite the way his insides were shivering from what came next. "You need to know what I've seen through my feathers."

 **Sorry for the lack of comments today, I have a terrible cold -_- but what does this mean for Povas? Is he truly going to give away his sight so the class can know the entire truth about HawkMoth?!**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	32. Class Approval

Alya had never shaken her head so hard. Everyone but Povas were staring at her as she wagged her finger at him. "No way! You are _not_ giving up your sight for this! I can learn the truth on my own!"

Marinette tapped her on the arm. "What are you talking about?"

"The price of telling anyone what he sees through his feathers is his sight – Povas goes blind if he ever lets out a secret!"

Povas held his hand up for her to be quiet. "Take a deep breath. I accept my fate if it means you and the others can stop HawkMoth."

Nathanael took a turn to shake his head. "You may have done a few stupid things, but you never deserve to have your sight taken away. Alya is a good investigator. She can figure out whatever you know."

"Not in time. HawkMoth is on the move. I was just a distraction."

Chloe took his hands. "You are _not_ risking this much for us." She glanced at Marinette. "Tell him this is crazy."

Marinette realized that everyone was staring at her, expecting her to tell them what to do. Even after learning that she had lied to them all this entire time… "Why me?"

Nino chuckled. "Cuz you and Ladybug are the same person."

Rose smiled. "You _are_ class president."

Adrien pat her shoulder. "You are our leader."

Lila shrugged. "Cuz someone needs to fix this."

Marinette looked from face to face: Alix, Kim, Maylene, Max, Nathanael…they all supported her despite how she had never told them the truth. Master Fu had told her to keep her identity a secret, but…she had already shared it with Adrien…they already knew this much…

"…Kwami."

Tikki, Plagg, Trixx and Huneyy flew out into view of the class. Sabrina pointed at Huneyy. "Is that your alien partner?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "So not the time to be getting jealous."

Tikki hovered beside Marinette. "No other miraculous hero has ever shared their secrets with this many people. You sure about this?"

Marinette nodded as the class gathered closer. "No more secrets. Every classmate here has been a huge part of our fight against HawkMoth. They already know about you guys and our identities thanks to the akuma. I…I…," she held the hands of Adrien and Alya, "I want to stop hiding this from them. Everyone here is so important to me."

Chloe squeezed feeling back into Povas' fingers. "What about Povas? How can you ask him to give up so much? Alya, you have to find out who HawkMoth is!"

Alya sighed with frustration. "Don't you think I've tried? I went to the museum and investigated with him, but I need more time!"

Alix cocked an eyebrow. "Why were you at the museum of all places?"

"Apparently Graham had previously found something related to HawkMoth there."

"Hope my dad is alright."

Povas gently removed Chloe from his hands and stood before the group. "I know I owe you all a lengthy explanation about why I faked my own death. I also know that we have no time for Alya to complete her investigation."

"I just need another hour at the most!"

"HawkMoth needs only minutes."

"Uuuuhhhhh…"

Povas pushed his way through the class as the group turned to where Joseph laid. He opened his eyes and looked around, but his arms were not moving. Povas got down on his knees and helped him into a sitting position against the wall. "I…I am so sorry."

Joseph smirked despite the pain. "You kidding? Never had this much fun before."

"You need immediate medical attention."

"You Parisians got good coverage?" He began to laugh but cut himself off when he looked out at the sky through the broken door. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "Hope you got coverage for that, too."

Marinette and Adrien ran to the door, Chloe and Alya close behind. Povas stood at their side as the group stared out at the sky. He moaned. "And so it begins."

High above the museum in the far distance, a great gathering of dark purple clouds was starting to form. The rest of the sky above Paris was darkening. Povas had to bite his tongue to keep from saying something inappropriate in front of the class. "Look," he turned back to the others, "about HawkMoth-"

"Stop!" Alya slapped her hands over his mouth as the others turned back to the class. "I know we can solve this without taking away your sight!"

He muffled "no time" beneath her fingers.

"Have a little faith in my skills!"

Ivan crossed his arms. "Things are getting real bad out there…what do we do?"

Marinette blinked a few times. "…We?"

She, Alya, Adrien, Chloe and Povas stared at the class. The class stared back. Joseph cleared his throat with a cough. "Do we really have time for a showdown?"

Alya held her hands up. "We appreciate your concern, guys, but now that you know the others and I are superheroes, you can leave this to us. Stay here in the foyer until the air clears. Literally clears."

Now the entire class had their arms crossed.

"…We kind of have powers you guys don't."

Now the entire class was staring at her.

"…Time is running out…"

Now the entire class sighed.

"…Uh…"

Nino stepped up and took her hands, looking deep into her eyes. "How can you possibly think, after all we've been through, that we're gonna let you guys do this on your own?"

Sabrina took to Chloe's side. "You guys are our friends, and this is our city."

Lila nudged Adrien's arm with a smirk. "You may have been lying, but you can take us all out for an apologetic dinner later."

Juleka stood before Marinette, and she slowly took her by the hand. "You managed to find the best in each of us. You always know how to lead us and bring us together, in and out of costume. We need you, so…" She pulled Marinette into a hug.

"Please let us help you."

 **Sorry this is a bit late, still getting over my cold -_- and yeah, I know this isn't as much drama as people wanted for the reveal of their identities, but I thought about how well the class gets along, and this just feels...right, you know? Also, while "Bond of a Cousin" has been completed, I will continue to post this story's chapters ever other day, to give me time for work in between.**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	33. Miraculous Motions

Juleka rarely hugged anybody. Even Rose had to pull it out of her every now and again. For her to purposely walk up and hug Marinette…in front of everybody…

 _What are we doing?_

As Juleka stepped back beside Rose, Marinette cleared her throat until all eyes were on her. "So, you guys are _absolutely_ sure about helping us out?"

The entire class nodded vigorously.

"You guys are willing to listen to us because of our experience?"

More nodding.

"…Alright."

Chloe shook her head in disbelief. "You intend to bring everyone to fight HawkMoth?!"

Adrien took Marinette's one hand and Alya took the other. Povas stood beside Chloe and put his hand on her shoulder. Marinette smiled. "Master Fu told us to keep our identities safe, because it would only put people we cared for in danger. So what happens when our identities are out in the open?"

"…We hit them until they suffer amnesia?"

" _No_ , Chloe, we choose to either ignore or accept."

Rose crossed her fingers and squeezed her eyes shut. "Please accept. Please accept. Please accept instead of hitting us."

Adrien chuckled. "No one is going to be hitting anyone here. Save the fighting for…well," he let his eyes wander back outside, "for whatever HawkMoth has in store for us by the museum. Hope we make it in time."

Plagg, Tikki, Huneyy and Trixx floated over before the class, the latter cleaning off one of her ears. "The five of us could make it with no problem. Taking an entire class with us and trying to keep them safe…not so sure."

"They can do it."

Everyone turned to face a small old man standing outside the broken foyer doors. Tikki and the others Kwami gasped. "Master Fu?!"

Nino nearly fell over from shock. "Mister Miyagi?!"

Master Fu bowed to the class and stepped into the semi-lit foyer beside Adrien. "A pleasure to meet all your acquaintances. You may call me Master Fu. I am the one who gave your friends the miraculous, the jewellery that gives them their Kwami partners and superpowers."

Tikki flew down to his shoulder. "Are you really okay with telling them all of this, Master? You always told us to keep this secret."

"Times are changing, Tikki, and now our heroes face a threat like no other. They will be needing the help of their comrades." Then he pulled out something green from his pocket. "They will also be needing this."

Adrien's eyes widened. "Your bracelet! You mean…the turtle miraculous is ready?"

Wayzz flew out before the class. "Master has decided that, in light of the danger HawkMoth has put Paris in with his plans, we must gather all the heroes we can together."

Kim scratched his head. "So…which one of us gets to be the turtle hero?"

Fu smiled and held the bracelet out to Marinette. "Ladybug is the leader of this group. It shall be her choice who becomes the turtle in my place."

Marinette gulped before turning back to her classmates. Everyone was waiting for her to make a choice that would change all their lives. Whoever she chose would be fighting with her, Adrien, Alya, Graham and Chloe. If she made the wrong choice and someone ended up getting hurt…

 _No pressure._

Master Fu gave her a thumbs up. "I know you can do it."

Adrien agreed with a nod, as did the other heroes and Joseph.

Tikki hovered up to her ear. "Want to transform into Ladybug and use your special vision to try and properly choose?"

Marinette shook her head. She was Ladybug, even without the mask and powers. She would be saving her strength for the actual fight. As the clouds outside grew thicker and loud with thunder, she held the bracelet up in the light. They would have a new teammate. Someone to battle with. Someone for HawkMoth to target.

 _…Unless…!_

She put the bracelet down and looked around. Adrien knew the look all too well. She was using her inner creativity to create a plan.

 _She never needed the mask to begin with – Marinette is the best class president ever!_

Alya glanced at Povas. His eyes were on the museum. She gave him a light nudge. "Let me try to figure out everything once we get there. I can still do this."

He looked down to her for a moment. "…Alright."

She smiled back. "Thank you."

Sabrina tugged on Chloe's sleeve. "After this…you promise to share everything with me, right?"

Chloe gave her a quick hug and winked. "Obviously. No more hiding my fabulousness."

"Thank goodness!"

Marinette clapped for attention once again. She had all she needed…in her mind, at least. "Okay, people, I think I may just have a plan that could quite possibly stop HawkMoth once and for all, but we are going to need each and every one of you!"

Joseph tapped his heel against the ground.

"Yes, even you, Joseph. Okay, everybody," she grinned as wide as she could, "what do you say? Want to save Paris?"

The entire class erupted into cheers. "MIRACULOUS! MIRACULOUS! MIRACULOUS!"

Master Fu and the Kwami smiled as Marinette began to explain her plan. "Adrien, we need you to bring…Joseph, help us to…Chloe, you and I will…Alya…Lila…Rose…Alix…"

 _There may yet be hope for this city._

* * *

It had started with loud banging coming from the basement. Everyone in the museum, tourists and guards, ran outside as the windows shook. Clouds grew above the rooftops. People ran off in terror. Soon, the only person left scrambling around the abandoned museum was Jalil. No matter where he looked, he could not find the keys to the downstairs vaults.

 _Maybe I should have taken them back from that guy who helped me earlier. Wonder where he went? I never saw him leave…?_

Suddenly all the lights went out, bathing him in darkness. He scrounged around in his pockets for a small flashlight. That was when he heard the footsteps.

Closer.

Closer.

He glanced down the art hall. "…Hello?"

A hulking figure was suddenly inches from his face. He had no time to yell.

"How-"

 _Bang!_

 **Now we get into the heat of the climax of our story! All the big players seem to be heading to the museum (and poor Jalil is right in the middle of it all), and you know what that means? ACTION :D I cannot wait to show you guys some of the strange things that are gonna go gown in those halls. I did my research, too, so you may even learn something along the way!**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	34. Historic Preparations

The plan was of a larger scale than anything Marinette had ever planned. It took an hour or two at the most. Finally, Ladybug found herself peering out at the museum from the closest alleyway, Chat Noir at her side. It felt…right. Especially since they were holding hands.

 _Holding hands with Adrien has never been so easy._

Chat Noir had the better vision and was looking over the museum entrance. "Looks like cameras are pointed at the door tonight. The storm cloud is also growing bigger. The edges are blending right into the sky!"

Ladybug could feel a deep chill in the air. They had to move fast before anyone got cold feet. Including herself. "Ready to move in?"

"…"

"…Chat?"

Chat Noir pulled her down to a crouch and smiled. "Can you believe Chloe is a superhero? All this time we were worried about her finding out who we are…and she's been facing the exact same villains as us."

Ladybug _did_ smile. It was pretty shocking finding out the once biggest bully of the school was a fellow heroine. She had been pulled aside before the group had split.

 _"So…yeah. Guess you are my hero, Marinette Dupain-Cheng…so don't you dare mess this up, or I am coming for you!"_

"Alya, too," Chat reminded her, not that she needed reminding, "and she knew who we were the whole time?! I mean, for most of the time. Best investigator, am I right?"

Ladybug flashed back to the conversation she had with her best friend right before leaving with Chat for the museum.

 _"I wanted to tell you I knew, but if I did, I thought…well, I was stupid. I thought you would leave me behind. Then I became a superhero, and I wanted to protect you. I know, right? I know that look from anywhere. I promise, no more secrets…can you…promise me?"_

She did. She had to. No one had been there more for her than Alya. No way was she going to let this ruin their friendship. As they waited for Povas' signal, she hoped that Queen Bee and Vixen were equally ready.

* * *

Queen Bee and Vixen kept to the shadows behind the museum, waiting for the signal. Vixen was keeping her eyes on the windows. If anything moved she would know.

"This whole time."

She let out a long sigh and glanced at Queen Bee, who was pacing back and forth in the air. "Are you finished yet?"

"How could I not have known you were Vixen?!"

"How could I not have known you were gonna get us caught with your yelling?!"

They glared at one another until Queen Bee sighed and crossed her arms, turning aside. "Sorry. I guess this is just the nerves. We have a huge mission ahead of us, and I had little beauty sleep. It could all end tonight, and here I am worrying about how dumb I am."

Vixen rolled her eyes. "You are not dumb."

"Yes I am! All this time you and the others have known how dumb I am and act and…and…," her sigh became a shudder as she looked back to Vixen with watery eyes, "I thought I finally had something special. Something I had earned and not bought."

Vixen felt her shoulders loosen as Queen Bee sniffled. She put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a smile. "You _are_ special. Chloe Bourgeois, you rightfully earned your miraculous through your bravery and selflessness, with as much flair and sass as possible. You are not dumb. You are a superhero, and deserve every chance to help us stop HawkMoth."

Queen Bee blew her nose on a hanky she had hidden in her small purse. "I am totally gonna do something I have never done to you before and I need you to promise not to judge me for it."

"Uh…okay?"

She tossed the hanky aside and hugged Vixen. "You make an alright heroine, Alya."

Vixen had no comeback. She could only hug Queen Bee and grin. This was definitely new, but she had no intention of ruining the moment…until something moving in one of the windows on the top floor caught her eye.

 _…Was that…?!_

She pulled away from Queen Bee and pointed to the museum. "Did you see him?"

"See who? I was a little busy having a moment with you!"

She turned back to Queen Bee with solemn confidence. "Wanna take a guess as to why Gabriel Agreste is in the museum on his own?"

"Mr. Agreste?"

Vixen pulled them further into the shadows as her mind whirled. She had recognized him from the little moonlight pouring in through the glass. Pieces were fitting together now: Graham and the museum, Alix and Jalil, Adrien, business, opportunity, reasoning…she held her head in her hands and gasped.

Queen Bee gave her a hard shake. "Get it together! Are you panicking now of all times?"

"I might just be," she admitted, "because…I know who HawkMoth is."

* * *

Every one of Povas' feather was strewn about the museum roof. He stood under the moon and let out a slightly shaky breath. He had to give the signal as soon as he knew the coast was clear. He moved to the large window over the art section and peered down. No one in sight…for now. It was almost too quiet.

 _I wonder if Jalil Kubdel thought to head home early. Can he even do that?_

The mission was seeming more and more insane with every passing moment – no, every passing _second_. He rarely got nervous when working, so for his hands to actually be shaking…there is was again. The nagging in the back of his mind.

 _If HawkMoth is defeated, you have no purpose._

"Enough," he spoke to himself, not bothering to control his volume, "Mr. Kubdel has to pay for his villainous actions before he kills someone-!"

He was no longer alone. Povas stood and spun around, ready for a fight. He expected HawkMoth or an akuma.

What he got was even worse.

 **We FINALLY get to the museum for the climactic showdown! Our heroes have a pretty cool plan, if I do say so myself, but you can bet there are going to be a few...complications along the way. This is probably going to end up being my longest story on Fanfiction yet, too, so there's something to celebrate! Over 42 chapters of miraculous goodness :D**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	35. Catching Sight of a Procession

"…Alix…"

She stood before him in a black shirt, shorts and sneakers, a large baseball cap over her pink hair. Her eyes were wide and fists were clenched. "…What did you just say about my father?"

 _She must have followed me. She knows the museum as well as Kubdel does._

Povas let his shoulders slump and his lungs once again take in air. This was possibly going to be the hardest part of the mission. He had been hoping to do it later, but… "I wanted to tell you but, with the price of my feathers-"

"Tell me what you said."

The fury in her voice took him back a step. "Alix-"

Her knuckles were white. Her arms were shaking with anger. She was giving him a glare as cold as ice. "Take it back. Take back what you just said about him! My father is not a criminal! _You got it wrong_!"

He tried to quiet her with a gentle hush.

"You want me to be quiet while you _insult_ my family?!"

Thunder boomed overheard. Their conversation would be lost to any other ears. Povas cautiously stepped closer to her. "I know this seems unbelievable. Trust me when I say that there is no pleasure in finding out what I know. I would tell you more, but if I do…"

Alix looked away and grit her teeth. "I came up here so I could help, because the museum is like a second home to me. Instead I find you saying such…such _stupid_ things about my dad. No one has ever been hurt by him!"

 _If this keeps up, the signal will be late…_

Povas walked over to her and crouched so they were eye to eye, though she continued to look the other way. He reached out for her hands. It took a moment, but she reluctantly gave in and took them, looking back at him with a grimace.

"Do you want me to prove it?"

"Like I would believe you."

He almost had her and she knew it. "Alix…if I ever reveal what I've seen with my feathers, then I go blind."

"So?"

He had no smile left to muster as he looked her in the eye. "If I tell you what I know and my eyes lose their sight, you have to believe me, okay?"

Alix stared at him. "…What?"

He waited for the thunder to dissipate. "The minute my eyes glaze over, you will finally know the truth behind HawkMoth."

* * *

Ladybug and Chat Noir were getting anxious. The signal should have happened by now. There was little sky left behind the grand storm cloud. The moon was officially gone. Chat held tight to her hand as darkness fell over the entire city.

 _Come on, Povas – we need to get in there before HawkMoth gets out!_

Finally there were signs of life from the rooftop. A pigeon call came through the thunder, and the lightning flashed over a silhouette above the windows. Only…there were _two_ silhouettes. Chat could make out the figure as they leapt down and raced towards them.

"Come on," he pulled Ladybug along behind him, "Povas is meeting us at the base of the glass pyramid…and he has Alix with him."

Ladybug shook her head. That made no sense. "Alix should be back with the rest of the class. I made sure of it."

"We both did. I guess she decided to tag along before…" He brought them to a stop by the edge of the pyramid. Something was off. "Why are they holding hands?"

Alix guided Povas over to them. Her eyes were puffy as she let him go and took a few breaths. "Sorry I came along without telling you. I just…I wanted to help…I never thought…," then she broke down. Ladybug quickly swooped in and wrapped her in a hug as Chat stepped up beside Povas.

"What happened up there?"

Povas looked over at Chat – his sight completely intact. "I was about to tell Alix the truth, when we saw movement in the art hall."

Alix was sobbing into Ladybug's shoulder. "My dad…unconscious Jalil…the bodyguard…and a _coffin_ …"

Ladybug comforted her as Povas pulled Chat aside. "Get inside while Alix and I start phase two of the plan."

"Um. I heard coffin. There was a coffin. Why is there a _coffin_?!"

Povas looked torn as he stepped back and helped Alix keep steady on her feet. "Forget about it for now. We need to focus on the plan. Meet up with Vixen and Queen Bee at the center of the museum and go from there."

Ladybug nodded to him and pat Alix on the back. "Whatever happens in there, remember, Alix – you have _nothing_ to do with HawkMoth."

Alix said nothing as Povas ran off with her in his arms. Chat moved back to Ladybug and gave his ears a scratch. "What do you think it all means?"

"It means that we have even less time that we thought."

The duo raced to either side of the front entrance, out of range of the security cameras. There was little silence outside now that the storm was everywhere. Ladybug peeked in through the window above her. No one in the lobby. She gave Chat a thumbs up. He signalled back with a smirk.

It was time for phase two.

* * *

Jalil groaned and slowly opened his eyes. He had a terrible headache. He had no room to move his arms. There was only darkness around him. It took only seconds for him to realize the terrible truth.

He was tied up inside of a sarcophagus.

His scream caught on the gag stuffed into his mouth. He tried shaking the rope off but it was too tight. The last thing he remembered was someone large coming up behind him and swinging at his head. His worst fears were being realized.

 _The museum is being robbed – and father is too far away to help!_

There was no way of calling the police. No way of warning Alix or his friends. No way of saving himself. The museum was on its own.

 _How can this get any worse?!_

 **Oh, if only you knew the troubles that laid ahead, Jalil. Bet I got you guys with the roof scene, huh? Cuz it sure hurt to write ;-; Alix is one of my favourite classmates, so when I began writing the story and putting Mr. Kubdel in the role of HawkMoth, I knew this moment would eventually come. Of course, she isn't the only Kubdel who will have to learn the truth tonight...**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	36. Night at the Museum

The windows were the best route of entry. Chat Noir used his claws to slice through the bottom and lift it up, allowing Ladybug inside. The security system had been turned off…almost as if someone planned for people to be walking around in the middle of the night.

They quickly slipped into the lobby and met the other two behind the spiralling staircase. Queen Bee took Chat by the hand as Vixen put her hand on Ladybug. "Guys," her voice was a whisper but her eyes spoke loud and clear, "I know who HawkMoth is."

Chat Noir gawked. "Whoa! This changes everything!"

Ladybug could see the worry in Queen Bee's eyes. She could feel the tension in Vixen's grip. Whatever they were about to tell them could change everything…and they had no time for last minute twists in the plan. "Save it for later." She gave Chat a comforting pat as his ears began to droop. "We can find out once HawkMoth is actually defeated."

Vixen and Queen Bee let out a sigh of relief, and the latter cracked her knuckles as quietly as possible. "Shall we dance with death?"

Chat gawked. "That is one of the darkest things you have ever said, Chloe."

She shrugged. "Dark museum, dark thoughts."

Ladybug pointed down the hallways. It was almost too silent for a closed museum. "Vixen and I will head to the Denon Wing-"

Queen Bee raised her hand. "Why are you going on a wing?"

Vixen smacked her forehead. "Where the Italian art is, Chloe…does the Mona Lisa ring any, _any_ bells?"

Queen shut herself up with a grumble as Ladybug turned to Chat. "You take Queen and head to the Richelieu Wing. We meet in the Sully Wing and share our findings. Povas will join us as soon as he give him the go-to."

Chat saluted her and took off, Queen on his tail. Ladybug glanced at Vixen. "At least tell me this before we head off: is HawkMoth going to be…close to any of us?"

Vixen looked away before her eyes could say anything more. Ladybug gravely nodded and led them towards their wing. "We can leave it at that."

* * *

To avoid the cameras – the few that remained on – Chat and Queen Bee kept as high and as low as physically possible…for miraculous. They flew and slid their way between two statues of big animals with human heads. "Ew," Chloe shivered as she examined the male faces and long hair, "good thing we never face akumas as creepy as these."

Chat chuckled. He had been to the museum before with his mother and recalled what she had taught him. "Those are lamassu, Assyrian deities from Mesopotamia. Of course, you obviously knew all this beforehand."

Queen Bee gave him her best smirk, tongue stuck out. "I am the master of messy potato lamb sues."

"…I-"

" _Not. One. Word_."

He gave her a friendly shrug and followed as they passed the Hammurabi Code. However, as the duo kept forward, Queen heard something creaking behind them…something ancient...and large.

And inanimate.

"Lasso shoes!"

Chat sighed and turned to her. "We call them-?!" He gawked at what was coming towards them. "Lamassu!"

Every one of the statues was creeping off the walls and facing the duo. Their expressionless eyes threw Chat and Queen Bee back a step. "No way is this happening," she snapped, "since using an akuma on things not alive should be impossible!"

Her outburst did not deter the lamassu. Rather, they seemed spurned on by her voice, and began to charge at them. Chat Noir brought his baton out. "Hope M'lady and Vixen are having a better time across the building."

* * *

"Why do most of them have to be naked?!"

Vixen and Ladybug were back to back as dozens of Greek sculptures surrounded them. Though most had fewer than two arms and were scantily clad, the crowd was growing larger, and there were fewer chances of escape as they closed in. Ladybug whirled her yo-yo around. "How does HawkMoth even possess things that have never been alive?"

Vixen got her flute ready, though she had no idea what to create for an illusion. "How do I trick art?" She shoved them back with the end of the flute. "Breaking these during a fight would be a worse crime than breaking into the museum."

The storm shook the glass of the windows, casting flashes of lightning over the sculptures. Vixen counted at least twenty facing her, and nearly twice as many before Ladybug. "I need something to fight, Ladybug!"

 _My yo-yo can fix this_ , Ladybug reasoned as she swatted sculptures back, _but taking out all of the figures will be hard without breaking them…unless_ , she glanced out at one of the windows, _we have no other choice._

"Vixen, put us by the windows!"

For a moment she had no idea what Ladybug was asking…and then she heard it. Howling winds sure to knock even cars off their wheels. She was stunned at the bold plan. "You sure we can fix this afterwards?"

"Not entirely!"

"Better chances that we can ask for!" She brought the flute to her lips and began to play a sweet tune. Immediately a copy of her appeared before the left window, and a copy of Ladybug was in front of the right. The sculptures split between the two, leaving space around the original duo. Ladybug wrapped one end of her yo-yo around the light above.

"Hang on!"

Vixen linked arms with her just as the sculptures fell upon the illusions.

 _Good thing sculptures are dumb…er, rather, have no intelligence._

The illusions made realistic gasps.

 _SMASH!_

The glass was unable to hold back the great weight of all the sculptures. The windows burst from the pressure and scattered glass shards everywhere. Powerful winds began to suck everything out of the hallway. The illusions dissipated. The sculptures flew outside. Thunder nearly deafened the girls as they hung tight onto the yo-yo wire.

"Don't let go," Ladybug yelled, "or we go flying!"

 **The art takes a terrible turn for the violent as our heroes race towards the Sully Wing! It was a lot of fun doing my research of the Louvre for this chapter, and I hope it shows. I never knew what a Lamassu was until a few days ago :D Now we can only hope that Ladybug and the others will be able to beat them back...without ruining anything over two thousand years old!**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	37. Queen of the Babylonians

The wind continued to tear at the hallway of the museum, keeping Vixen and Ladybug off their feet as they clung to the yo-yo wire. The sculptures were flying out into the city, sucked up into the storm cloud. Vixen peeled her eyes away from the destruction. "Now what do we do?!"

"Uh…"

"You have a plan for getting us out of this, right?!"

"…Just hold on!"

"Seriously?!"

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, with their arms growing sore and grip weakening, the duo found the wind beginning to die down. There were so many sculptures being suck out of the two broken windows that they were clogging the frames. Vixen gently got to her feet, singular winds tugging at her hair. "We should move out before the sculptures pop out into the night and we get caught in another wind tunnel."

Ladybug hopped to the ground and whipped her yo-yo back onto her hip. Together they ran out of the hall and down to the meeting spot.

 _Hope Chat and Queen are doing better_ , Ladybug thought as Vixen followed her past withering glares from artwork, _and that the Sully Wing is more peaceful._

* * *

" _No one tugs on my pigtail_!"

Chat Noir almost felt bad for the lamassu as Queen Bee wrapped her honey whip around their necks and slammed their heads into one another. One by one they fell and shattered. Chat used his baton to slam their sides into the walls. "Queen," she shouted over her ranting about correct hair procedures, "we need to get out of here and meet with the others!"

Queen Bee hovered over the statues as they began stepping on each other's feet-er, paws. With a snap of her finger all eyes were on her. "Then we should just let them do the fighting for us!" It was masterful the way she then stood in the center of the lamassu and started to…to…Chat had to actually do a double take.

 _Why is she FLIRTING with them?!_

The lamassu were staring at Queen Bee in what had to be expressionless awe as she wagged her hips and fluttered her eyelashes. "You big strong llama sues would never want to really hurt a princess, would you?"

 _Of course_ , Chat smiled as the lamassu actually listened to her, _the lamassu were Babylonian protectors who watched over the cities!_

Queen Bee sauntered around their legs. "How can you let HawkMoth tell you what to do? You are all way too good for him! Why not go about _saving_ me rather than _hurting_ me?"

Chat could have kissed her. The lamassu bowed their heads and took to either side of her as she giggled. "Queen, you are amazing!"

She flipped her pigtail over her shoulder. "You needed proof?"

"How did you know the lamassu were guardians?"

She blinked a few times before shrugging. "I was just giving them all I got. I had no idea they were actually guardians or whatever."

Chat Noir smacked his forehead, but he also gave her a hug. "Never change."

"Well duh! Now," she snapped her fingers, raising the lamassu to their feet, "we have a meeting to get to."

* * *

Vixen and Ladybug waited outside the Egyptian antiquities for the other two. It was nice to have peace and quiet after all the wind and sculptures smashing against one another. Ladybug looked over her yo-yo with a frown.

 _I hope my magic can fix this…losing all those sculptures…all that history…would be all my…I could never live with myself._

"Hey," Vixen gave her a hug, "things will work out. Your plan is going to work."

"And if it fails? If _I_ fail? The city would hate me, Marinette Dupain-Cheng or not." She felt her chest tighten. "Adrien would hate me."

Vixen chuckled. "Girl, nothing you do could ever make that boy _dislike_ you, let alone go so far as to think of hating."

"…You think?"

"I know."

Ladybug hugged her back. It was way better knowing her best friend was at her side in the final battle. She would have held on sooner had the sound of heavy footsteps not been coming up from the other wing. "What the-?!"

Chat Noir walked over to them, followed by Queen Bee – who was being followed by at least ten lamassu. Ladybug and Vixen gawked as she stepped over and smirked. "You two look like you saw a ghost. By the way, like my new entourage?"

Vixen was going to say something, but Ladybug shook her head. Explanations could be made later. The four heroes took their places around the entrance to the antiquities section and peered inside. "Whoa," Chat gasped, "what is my bodyguard doing here?"

Gorilla stood in front of the center sarcophagus as if on guard. There was no one else around, and he wasn't akumatized, but something about the room felt off to the group. Especially when they heard muffled cried from inside the sarcophagus. "I hate to say this, Chat Noir," Ladybug looked to her partner, "but…I think your bodyguard might be with HawkMoth."

Chat Noir wanted to argue that it was a misunderstanding…until his mind flashed back to when he and Marinette had gone out shopping for Chloe. Gorilla had been with them in the car when they revealed their identities, though the screen was up between them.

 _What if he HAD heard us talking? What if HawkMoth HAD hired him? Could that mean…all this time, Gorilla has been…a double agent?!_

Ladybug squeezed his hand. They needed to focus. He gave her a firm nod. "Whatever Gorilla being here means, we need to get to the bottom of this."

Gorilla looked around the exhibit with keen senses and narrow eyes. Vixen was afraid that at any second they would be discovered. "How do we get him away without drawing attention to this part of the museum?"

Queen Bee scoffed. "Little late to be worrying about attention."

Ladybug looked Queen Bee and her lamassu over, slowly grinning. "You know, you may have a point there…your highness."

 **Yes, that is right, Queen Bee is actually a queen now - the queen of llama sues XD I got to learn something new with this chapter, so that was an added bonus. Now we get to see how Chloe can use these new followers of hers to her advantage. Time for operation save-Jalil-from-the-bodyguard-working-for-the-evil-HawkMoth-using-flirtation!**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	38. Prying at the Truth

Jalil felt as though the sarcophagus was closing in on him. He had never been claustrophobic, but he had also never been held hostage. It was certainly an experience he would never ask for more than once…or once at all. He leaned back against the cool gold and groaned, though the gag kept it from being audible. He was alone and there was nothing he could do to keep the museum from being robbed.

There were the occasional footsteps just outside the sarcophagus. One of the robbers must have been put in charge of watching the hostage. Jalil was too scared to try and communicate. What if they were violent?

Then there was another sound that he had not heard before. It had to be loud if he could hear it so clearly through the sarcophagus. There were more footsteps…lots of footsteps…the robber gave a deep gasp. Frantic conversation in the form of conversation. Yelling in the form of muffling. A high-pitched giggle.

 _…Chloe Bourgeois?_

Someone bumped against the sarcophagus. Suddenly he heard a great roar. The robber was no longer alone – there was some sort of animal in the museum with them!

 _Sounds like a lion!_

Finally, after much shaking and groaning from the outside, there was silence again. Someone let out another giggle, and the sarcophagus was pried open. Before him stood Queen Bee, smiling as she tore the gag out of his mouth. "Terrible place for beauty sleep."

Jalil peered over her shoulder. An army of lamassu were guarding the Agreste bodyguard, Chat Noir on the right and Ladybug standing with a fox hero on the left. "…I get the feeling there is more to this than a robbery."

Queen Bee helped him out of his binds as Ladybug ran over. "You need to evacuate the museum. HawkMoth is working here as we speak."

"Why he is at the museum now of all times?"

"Better we tell you after we defeat him."

Jalil looked back at the lamassu as the statues kept close to Queen Bee. "How did you manage to bring those to life?"

Chat Noir scratched his ear. "Likely the work of an akuma."

Queen Bee scratched one of the lamassu under the stone beard. "Think I should start nicknaming them?"

Jalil was about to question the use of nicknames, when he caught the fox hero standing by one of the glass cases – this one empty. "Oh, no," he gasped, "the scepter was stolen!"

Vixen traced her fingers over the glass. She recalled the conversation between Jalil and his father months ago, when she and Marinette had come to look over the old scrolls.

 _The scepter could be used to bring Nefertiti back from the dead._

She looked over at the ancient scrolls.

 _Why take the scepter, but not the scrolls with the ancient chants?_

Her eyes wandered back to the windows above, the storm growing darker and darker.

 _He has no need for Nefertiti…what he wants is…!_

She and Queen Bee locked eyes. The truth could very well change the very reality of their plan. "Get to the police, Jalil," she turned to him, "and tell them to create a perimeter. No one gets in unless we have HawkMoth under wraps."

To her surprise Jalil shook his head. "The museum is my responsibility while my father is away. I have to help get it back from HawkMoth, no matter the cost!"

Vixen felt a shiver run up her spine. He deserved to know the truth. She may only be putting a few pieces together, but it was finally coming together. She glanced at Ladybug and Chat Noir. She shared another look of worry with Queen Bee. She eyed the lamassu. Then she turned back to Jalil and let out her longest sigh.

"Your father never left Paris."

"What? Of course he did! He left for Australia-"

"No one but politicians can get into Australia right now."

"…But he said-"

"He lied," Queen Bee cut in, "to both you and Alix."

Jalil rubbed his temples. "Then…if my father never went to Australia…where is he?"

Chat Noir gasped. "He never left Paris! Vixen, are you saying Mr. Kubdel is somewhere inside the museum?!"

Ladybug flashed back to Alix and Povas outside the entrance. "Alix was crying. Does that mean she found out…oh," all eyes turned to Jalil, "it would mean…"

Jalil was smart enough to figure out the rest, though it hurt him dearly.

"You're saying that father is HawkMoth."

Vixen nodded. "Mr. Kubdel lied about his vacation so people would never suspect he was really HawkMoth. He has an observatory to akumatize people from, not to mention all the antiquities he has access to in the museum."

"But…why would father do these things?!"

"For power." She pointed to the empty display case where the scepter should have sat. "All this time HawkMoth has been using akumas to try and grab our miraculous. I believe that, with all of the miraculous and the power of the scepter, Mr. Kubdel could raise the dead – he could raise to life whoever was in the coffin Alix and Povas spotted."

"Alix is here?!"

"She and the others are safe," Queen Bee assured him, "but right now we have bigger problems to handle." She walked over to the bodyguard and kicked him into a sitting position against one of the columns. As he stirred awake she put her foot on his shoulder. "We need answers before we face HawkMoth."

Gorilla opened his eyes and looked the group and their lamassu over. Chat Noir crouched beside him and smiled. "Mind explaining why you kidnapped Jalil Kubdel?"

"…"

"Can you tell us who hired you?"

"…"

"Any idea how you even got here?"

"…"

Queen shooed him away and glared Gorilla down. "Leave the interrogation to _moi_." She had the group give her some room as she leaned in close to his face. The lamassu closed in on her and the bodyguard, stone eyes seemingly looking right into his soul.

"Now," she sneered, "about those answers."

 **Poor Jalil now knows the truth, and now Vixen has figured out what HawkMoth is going to be doing with the coffin of Mrs. Agreste! The biggest, baddest fight is just ahead, folks - as soon as Chloe gets all the answers she wants. Wonder how long it will take before she finds a way to break through the bodyguard...**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	39. Chloe Ruling Hard

Vixen, Ladybug, Chat Noir and Jalil were unable to see what was going on behind the lamassu. It was a long few moments while Queen Bee interrogated the bodyguard. Vixen stepped beside Jalil and put a hand on his arm. "I can't imagine how hard this must be for you and Alix. If she also knows the truth…"

Jalil pushed her hand off but managed to look her in the eye. "I love my father and sister. If he really is doing all these terrible things to bring somebody back to life…he has to be brought in for his crimes."

Chat Noir glanced at the duo. "Any idea who he might be trying to resurrect?"

Jalil was going to answer when Vixen pinched his arm. _Hard_. He winced and shot her a look, but the concern in her expression gave him second thoughts. He looked back at Chat Noir. "I would rather not try guessing who it could be."

Chat nodded. "Fair enough-"

"Alright," came a deep voice from behind the lamassu, "I promise to tell you everything! I vow to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, so please, _PLEASE_ never do that ever again! Let me go before he finds us!"

The lamassu parted to reveal Queen Bee standing beside a shaking bodyguard, dusting off her gloves while he shivered. She gave Chat Noir a wink. "You know my family always gets what it wants."

 _Never knew Chloe could be so intimidating…or that my bodyguard could talk!_

Ladybug knelt in front of Gorilla. "Come clean with us. What exactly are your orders, and who gave you said orders?"

Gorilla didn't even bother to try staring her down. Whatever Queen Bee had told him, he was too shaken to fight back. "He told me to keep an eye on you and Chat Noir – you and Adrien! He made me come here and take care of the Kubdel boy! He is definitely going to fire me if he finds out you guys are onto him because of me!"

Vixen rolled her eyes. "Not really the biggest issue right now."

"You have no idea what this means," Gorilla continued with wide eyes – eyes of fear. "This man is…the two of them are insane!"

Chat Noir let his ears twitch. "Did you say two of them?"

Vixen and Queen Bee guiltily looked away as Gorilla glanced from face to face. "…You heroes have no clue who HawkMoth really is. At least," he noted the way Vixen avoided eye contact, "a few of you have no clue."

Ladybug jabbed her finger into his chest. "Just tell us who they are and where we can find them in the museum."

"Uh," Vixen started to object, "or we could just ask where they are-"

"If I tell you," Gorilla asked, "what happens to me?"

Jalil sighed. "Then you and I wait here, maybe with a few of the lamassu, until the police are safe to enter and place you under arrest."

"…Fine. I suppose I can keep somewhat safer in jail. Mr. Kubdel is not the only one working as HawkMoth. He and-"

 _BOOM!_

The thunder outside was so loud it almost shattered the glass. Ladybug stood and turned to Jalil. "Stay here with him and two of the lamassu. We have to move out before it's too late." She and Queen Bee smiled. "They _will_ protect you."

The Lamassu bowed again to Queen as she pat their legs. "Listen to your queen and stay with the nice boy and his prisoner for me. Mommy promises to be back soon."

Vixen stuck her tongue out in mock disgust as Chat knelt beside Gorilla. "You should know that Mr. Agreste will be hearing about this."

Ladybug could have sworn there was a hint of sympathy in Gorilla's expression as he gave Chat a nod. "I'm sure he will."

Queen chose two of the lamassu and placed them on either side of Jalil and Gorilla, who decided to remain seated against the column while the former paced. Chat leaned over to her. "What did you say to him to get him to start talking?"

"I told him I knew how to cancel Christmas in Paris."

"…Uh, not even your father can do that."

"…Does he need to know that?"

Ladybug pointed down the long hall that led into the Egyptian exhibit. "Tell us where we need to go to find HawkMoth."

Gorilla rested his head against the stone. "The Cour Marly."

Jalil nodded. "Makes sense. There is a lot of room for…whatever my father plans to accomplish with his…resurrection."

Ladybug put a hand on his shoulder. "I promise, we will bring your father to justice."

 _I only hope we can do it before he actually succeeds in destroying the museum – and Paris along with it._

* * *

Queen Bee led the way, placing a pair of lamassu every couple feet between one another down the Egyptian hall. Vixen kept behind her and made sure the statues were silent. Chat Noir walked alongside Ladybug and took her hand. He asked a question she felt dangerously close to figuring out.

"Who do you think the other HawkMoth could be?"

She wanted to tell him that it was actually a criminal. She wanted them to get to the Cour Marly and come face to face with someone she wanted to arrest. Mr. Kubdel was a father to one of her best friends. She hated to bring him in…and if she was right about the other HawkMoth, she was only going to be further frustrated.

 _Please let me be wrong. I wish Vixen had told me before._

They met up with her and Queen Bee once the last two lamassu were standing guard. Queen was hugging the left on while Vixen chuckled. "Mommy will call you if mommy is in trouble. You be good little llamas while mommy is working, okay?"

Chat pat her arm. "They'll be fine."

Vixen and Ladybug shared the same foreboding thought.

 _Hope we could say the same thing about ourselves._

 **You had better believe Chloe Bourgeois would find a way to cancel Christmas if it meant saving the world ;) Good thing it won't come to that, but now that the group know where to head, we get to finally come across the ultimate team up - HawkMoth times two! Hope you guys are ready for some action and drama...and I hope I got the layout of the place right.**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	40. Cornered in the Cour Marly

The Cour Marly was easy enough to get to. The four heroes were dead silent as they ran and flew down the vacant halls towards the inner courtyard. Each had their own thoughts threatening to bubble over into babbling. Vixen continued to lead the group as they rounded a corner and made their way into the Richelieu wing.

 _What am I going to say to Adrien when he finds out HawkMoth is both Mr. Kubdel AND his own father, Gabriel Agreste?_

Queen Bee hovered above the group while trying not to accidentally bump into the walls while in her own thoughts.

 _I hope my llamas will still listen to me before HawkMoth finds out they have a soft spot for a new parental figure._

Chat Noir twirled his baton in his hand while holding Ladybug by the other, but his mind was far beyond even her beauty.

 _Poor father and Natalie are going to flip when they find out my bodyguard is actually working for HawkMoth of all people._

Ladybug held tight to Chat Noir as they neared their destination, her fears and worries racing to take over her senses.

 _If we fail to stop HawkMoth this time, then not only will an akuma be loose on the city, but all of reality will be in jeopardy!_

Finally they were standing at the entrance of the Cour Marly. Ladybug brought the group in for a huddle. "Everybody ready?

Queen Bee pointed at her knees. "Are _you_?"

Ladybug knew her knees were knocking before Queen even put her arm down. "Are you telling me you are not in the least bit scared?"

She puffed her cheeks out in a pout. "I mean that we need you at your best, leader, because if we hope to win we have to be at our more confident. Little hard to be confident when you're making such a racket with your knees."

Ladybug huffed and crossed her arms, abruptly ending the huddle. "I know for a fact you have had your share of scares on HawkMoth's part."

"At least I had my knees under control!"

Vixen stepped between them before their voices grew too loud. "Enough from the both of you! If we want to have the advantage of surprise we need to sneak up on HawkMoth. That means this little squabble ends now."

Chat Noir let out a breath of relief when the girls shook hands. "Guess the stress is getting to all of us, huh?"

Ladybug nodded. She needed to get her head in the game. Her teammates depended on her. She was depending on them. "Alright. Get into position."

Since they were at the bottom entrance of the Cour Marly, the four of them clung to the wall and peered in through the multiple arched openings. Chat Noir recognized the courtyard from one of his previous visits years ago.

 _All these statues are from the time of Louis XIV, though most are the "Horses of Marly" by the artist Guillaume Coustou…only, when he sculpted them, they were definitely not moving around like that!_

Stone men and horses marched back and forth along the steps and ledges of the courtyard. There were streaks of lightning lining the storm clouds above the glass roof. On the middle floor he and the girls could clearly hear HawkMoth talking – and they saw a surprise second figure.

 _Father?!_

Gabriel Agreste stood on the ledge in front of the middle section of the courtyard, his entire body made of stone and his hands high in the air. He wore a suit so white it nearly shone. Queen Bee had to suppress a whistle. "He may have been akumatized, but he sure looks fine for a villain. HawkMoth meanwhile is…a tad bit tasteless."

Vixen tried to spot HawkMoth, but from their angle it was impossible to make him out. "We need to get closer."

Ladybug tried finding the best path to HawkMoth, but every possibility meant running into most of the statues. If she tried breaking the glass and letting the storm suck them up again, their plan would be ruined. "Split up," she whispered, "and corner them off."

Queen Bee and Chat Noir ran down the left hallway, and Ladybug left Vixen at the front, while she directed herself to the back entrance of the courtyard. She gave her best friend one last look before rounding the corner.

 _I have to signal Povas soon._

Vixen kept hidden in the shadows as akuma Agreste eyed the statues. "The air is changing," he turned to HawkMoth, out of her field of vision, "which means that our plan is finally beginning to work."

 _I knew it_ , she bit her lip as the men watched the storm grow darker. _All this time the two of them have been in cahoots! Whoever is in that coffin has to mean a lot to both of them. Someone the two of them want back…someone missing from their lives…!_

Vixen gasped. One of the statues looked her way, but she ducked out of sight just in time. Once it was marching again she released her breath.

 _Neither of them have wives._

Mrs. Agreste had gone missing months ago. Mrs. Kubdel had left her family after Alix had been born. Alix never talked about it much, but she had mentioned it during a family tree presentation one day in class.

 _"It's just Jalil, dad and I. No need for a fourth member – not like the fourth member wanted to stay around anyways."_

She looked back into the Cour Marly. Gabriel Agreste was facing HawkMoth again. She could hear him speaking behind the ledge.

"They will come."

 _They know the others and I are on our way._

Across the courtyard, Chat Noir peeked out from the left arch. He spotted HawkMoth standing in the middle with a coffin at his feet, and the Egyptian scepter in his hands and raised to the sky. It was hard to pay attention to his words, however, once he recognized the face behind the coffin glass. His heart stopped.

 _…Mother?_

 **Things are only going to get even more dramatic from here, folks, because not only do we have both HawkMoth and HawkMoth #2 in the same courtyard, but we also have Mrs. Agreste AND all four superheroes! Where does this leave us? Trust me, you are definitely gonna wanna stay tuned for this one, because there is beyond quite a lot to say - and do!**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	41. STOP in the Name of Love!

For Chat Noir, it was a scene right out of a horror movie: the villainous HawkMoth standing over his dead mother with an ancient scepter that can raise the dead, his statue father possessed by the evil as a great storm threatened his city. He hid behind the wall as his knees gave out, and he slid to the floor.

 _This is not happening._

His father was speaking now. His ears twitched as he listened intensely. What he heard made his pulse skip.

"Just make sure I get to crush those heroes. This stupid fake akumatization is getting annoying."

 _Fake?_

"Controlling art will only hold them off for so long while you charge up."

 _Charge?_

"I will do whatever it takes to bring my wife back!"

 _Whatever it takes?_

His head was spinning. His knees were shaking. His eyes were watering. This was why Queen Bee and Vixen decided not to tell him who the second HawkMoth was.

 _My father is the other HawkMoth._

Now he was the one putting the pieces together. As the thunder raged outside, his emotions raged inside. Everything his father created and owned surrounded butterflies. His father had such an interest in Ladybug and Chat Noir. It was his mother laying inside the coffin. Somehow he and Mr. Kubdel had decided to work together to bring her back…even if it meant the end of the city. The end of _reality_.

While Chat Noir was dealing with the revelation, Ladybug was across the courtyard, peeking out from the opposite arch. In her hand was one of Povas' feathers that had been scattered around the museum. She gave it a wink.

 _Showtime._

Queen Bee and Vixen managed to lock eyes across the courtyard from the front and back. All the main heroes were in place.

 _To the battle!_

Vixen ran into the courtyard. Agreste and the statues turned to her as she pulled her flute out and gave him a smirk. "Heard you were expecting company, Mr. Agreste!"

Gabriel grit his stone teeth. "How much did you hear?!"

She brought the flute close to her lips. "Enough to know that you and Mr. Kubdel are going to be doing quite a number behind bars!" She blew out a sick tune, creating a collection of illusionary pigeons. They began to fly around the statues, threatening to let loose overtop them. Every horse and man ran for cover – the courtyard was chaos in seconds. Gabriel glared at Vixen as she gave him a wink. "So much for the army of Louis XIV."

Queen Bee took to the air and began whipping the trees around, throwing them at HawkMoth. It was a close call until he slid a sword out of his staff and kept slicing them away. "How dare you try and raise the dead," she demanded, angrier than she had expected to be, "especially when it means disturbing the peace of such a wonderful woman!"

 _Mrs. Agreste was like a second mother to me – and I will not let anybody, not even a couple of crazy lovers, ruin her afterlife!_

Ladybug took her chance and ran into the open, with HawkMoth and Gabriel Agreste distracted and the statues losing it. She leapt into the air and whipped her yo-yo out, wrapping it around the arms of Gabriel. Vixen jumped and kicked him off the ledge, taking his place as he fell onto the bottom of the steps. As he got to his feet again Ladybug landed on his shoulder and wrapped her legs around his chest. "Now," she grabbed his head, "where is the akuma?"

Gabriel retaliated by grabbing her arms and flipping her onto her back. He pinned her down and loomed over her face. "The akuma did not possess me – I accepted the power!"

Vixen raised her flute again. "Let her go before-?!" She ducked as one of the horses let out a wheeze and galloped overhead. Every time she tried to stand another statue dove over her. "Give me a break!"

Queen Bee saw Vixen dodging statues and Ladybug in combat with Gabriel. She also noticed the lack of cat in the fight. Before she could worry where Chat Noir was, however, she heard the big claps of thunder outside the museum. The cloud was beginning to swirl…almost like a tornado. "Kubdel," she yelled over the noise, "what are you doing?!"

HawkMoth glanced up at her and actually smirked. He held the scepter up. "I would think you already knew, you stupid girl. I am bringing about the greatest feat in history! I am bringing back to life what once was lost!"

She cracked her knuckles again, only this time she ignored the pain – she was far too mad to care anymore. "There is a reason this happens so rarely."

"No one has ever had the power I hold."

"No one should have so much power."

HawkMoth lost his smile. He ground his teeth together. He took in a deep breath and let it out in a burst of rage. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU ALL?!"

The entire courtyard went silent. The illusionary pigeons froze. The statues froze. Gabriel, Queen Bee, Ladybug and Vixen froze. Chat Noir, hiding behind the wall, jolted to attention. For a long moment, no one said anything. Then HawkMoth cleared his throat. "…Love."

Vixen finally got to stand up. "…Love?"

He turned to her and the others. "We are doing this for love. Is there anyone in all of Paris who can say something bad against her?" He pointed at the coffin. "I dare you to try."

Ladybug softened her expression. "I know you miss her-"

"THIS IS MORE THAN MISSING HER!" HawkMoth caught his breath. "This is needing her to be here for...for us."

Queen Bee crossed her arms. "You intend to share her like some doll?"

 _SWACK!_

Gabriel punched Ladybug in the chin, knocking her back into the ledge. Vixen hopped down and helped her to her feet as he rubbed his knuckles. They stared him down as he grimaced.

"We intend to _save_ her."

 **Love is a war, and by golly have Mr. Agreste and Mr. Kubdel brought it to the Louvre! I am having a hard time making the storm outside any more terrifying, so bear with me as I talk a lot about thunder, lightning and clouds these next few chapters. Mind you, the REAL action is inside the Cour Marly (had to do my research for the layout, lots of fun)!**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	42. Chat Chat

"THIS WON'T SAVE MOTHER!"

Everyone in the courtyard turned to Chat Noir. He stood in the arch with his hand on the wall. His ears were drooping. His eyes were crestfallen. His mouth was quivering. Gabriel gazed up at the hero – at his son. "…You would rather she remain dead?"

Ladybug blinked a few times before glancing at the coffin. She had yet to recognize the woman under the glass. Now it all made sense. She had seen that face before, on the computer screen of Adrien's computers in his bedroom.

His mother…oh, Adrien.

Chat had to try a few times to get the words out. "All this time…father…you…," he shook his head to focus, "you were working with HawkMoth?!"

Gabriel gestured to HawkMoth as Queen Bee kept an eye on his back. "Kubdel has gladly agreed to help bring her back. You would dare to question us?"

"Reality will be completely destroyed!"

"A mediocre price for her life."

"Not if it means risking the lives of others!"

"I thought you loved her!"

"I thought _you_ loved her!"

Ladybug, Vixen and Queen Bee winced at the volume of his voice. None of them knew how they could respond. Even HawkMoth was silent as father and son stared at each other. Gabriel let out a low sigh before answering. "Do explain."

Chat Noir froze. He waited for his father to stop this, to stand down. He waited for everything to dissolve into a dream, and he would wake up from the nightmare. He waited for the silence to be broken by something.

No such luck. They needed an answer. He had to say something before HawkMoth intervened. It had to be good enough to convince his father to stop. He shut his eyes and searched his mind for the right words.

 _If you bring back mother then all of reality will perish…no. That will only spurn him on._

Gabriel arched an eyebrow.

 _If mother comes back to life then we have to deal with the repercussions…no. He can just buy a psychologist._

HawkMoth pretended to check his non-existent watch.

 _If reality perishes then there will be no world to share with mother…no. Both of them are too far gone to listen to that sort of reasoning!_

Chat Noir groaned and held his head in his hands in frustration. Everyone was waiting. Paris was falling apart outside. His mother was just lying there-!

 _Of course._

"You have to forget about _us_ for a moment."

HawkMoth and Gabriel exchanged a look of confusion. "Excuse me?"

Chat Noir focused on the coffin as he spoke. "All this time you and I have been worrying about how mother dying has affected us, and how her being gone has led us to this confrontation. What about her? What would mother say if she saw you doing this?"

Gabriel thought about his answer. "…She would thank me for-"

"Wrong."

"What?"

"Mother would never thank you for turning into a criminal. Mother would never ask you to go so far for her. That," he pointed to the storm cloud, "would never be good in her books."

"I think I know your other better than you-"

"You asked for me to explain, so listen while I explain!"

Ladybug gasped. Vixen whistled. Queen Bee smirked.

 _Go get him._

Chat Noir stared his father down. "I know what happened in Tibet. I know mother risked her life to get those photos for me. I will always carry the guilt of that, even if I don't have to." He gave Ladybug a glance. She gave him a warm smile.

"Mother always put herself before others. In her eyes, her life was never worth that of others. I admired her for that – for being brave enough to put the rest of the world above her. Yet here we are, with her coffin, underneath a storm, ready to throw the lives of others away for her. How can we ever hope to face her?"

Gabriel and HawkMoth actually began to listen. Queen Bee could have sworn the storm became quieter as Chat Noir spoke. "I'm not going to stop you because I want mother to stay…" He let a sigh escape between his teeth. "I'm going to stop you because I love mother…and I love you, father. Please," he held his hand out towards Gabriel, "let her rest. We can…we can overcome this. Together."

Though he was made of stone, Ladybug could see the conflicting emotions in Gabriel's eyes. He glanced at the coffin with such a longing that she almost felt like running over and attempting to wake Mrs. Agreste up herself. "…We need her," he whispered so only she and Vixen could hear. "How can I properly raise you without her?"

 _I've never lost someone so close to me_ , she thought as he clenched his stone fists, _so I have no idea what to say…but…_

Ladybug stepped up beside him and gingerly put a hand on his arm, waiting until he was looking back at her before opening her mouth. "Adrien needs his father…that doesn't mean you need to hold onto the past. You have tons of friends willing to help."

Vixen smiled. "The last thing that will help you raise Adrien is destroying reality. Come with us, and we can solve this."

Gabriel went silent. He looked back to the coffin…and then to Chat Noir. They seemed to speak through eyes alone. Queen Bee watched HawkMoth grow tenser as the silence dragged on. This could be it for their plan…

"How weak can you possibly be?"

Everyone turned to HawkMoth as the storm outside banged against the glass roof. He raised the scepter and pointed a finger at Gabriel. "How can you think to listen to this insipid whining when the storm rages on above us?!" He pointed at the coffin. "You would leave her here?! Dead?!"

Gabriel frowned at him. "I want her to live more than anyone."

"So help me bring her back!"

Ladybug felt her heart jump as he shook his head and turned back to Chat Noir. "Not if it means losing my son in the process."

 **A broken man finally comes to terms with his loss, and sees the truth behind his father's words. Is this too easy? No. Gabriel has been so used to Adrien just obeying his every word that, when Chat finally speaks out against him, it's like his own reality is falling apart. I really feel for Gabriel Agreste: losing his wife, his best friend, and having to raise his son on his own while running a huge fashion industry. Hope the show can deal with him properly.**

 **Also, anyone else notice how Chat was staring at Ladybug while describing how great his mother was ;)**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	43. This Storm Sucks

Ladybug, Vixen and Queen Bee fist pumped the air. Chat Noir looked so relieved they worried he would fall on his face with tears of happiness. "Father," he choked out through a smile, "how can I ever thank you?"

Gabriel looked to his shoes. "How can you ever forgive me?"

"I-"

He held his hand up to stop Chat from speaking. "Please let me finish…I…I know I deserve next to nothing from you," he glanced at Ladybug, "from any of you, but…at least hear me out before anything else." He turned to HawkMoth. "This includes you."

Queen Bee hovered down to one of the ledges and sat with crossed legs as Gabriel breathed in and out a few times. Then he spoke in a monotone voice, firm but shaken. "All this time, Kubdel and I have been doing everything in our power to save her. I knew that every time an akuma was created you would stop them. We just needed someone to grab the miraculous, your earrings and ring, as well as the hair comb and necklace. It was all for her…," he turned to the coffin, "all for the love of my life."

HawkMoth scowled. "Enough of this-"

"I felt as though she had been cheated out of a full life," he ignored HawkMoth, "and when I had that book and was able to learn about the miraculous, I believed I had found the answer. Kubdel agreed that we should at least try…I never thought it would mean fighting my own son. I never thought it would mean fighting children, either." Finally he turned back to Chat Noir, Ladybug and Vixen…with tears in his eyes. Actual tears that were not made of stone. "I just wanted her to be part of the family again."

Ladybug had to bite her lip to keep from crying. She almost hugged him but stopped herself so not to embarrass either of them. "This is for the best."

 _One man down, one man to go-_

HawkMoth let out a growl and stomped his foot against the floor. "Enough talking!" He held the scepter as high as he could. "Now is the time of action!"

Queen Bee could see the lightning beginning to spin like a tornado through the clouds. "G-Guys? I-It got a whole lot bigger!"

"Enough of this, Kubdel," Gabriel gestured to the coffin, "before you hurt her! This is the end – we can drop it before anybody else gets hurt!"

"You were never committed as I was!"

"I never wanted to bring so much pain! I just wanted her back!"

"Well I have news for you! I was planning on throwing you into the storm as soon as she opened her eyes, but I guess I can toss you aside a little bit early!"

Gabriel gawked. "You what?!"

HawkMoth was grinning now and it terrified Ladybug. "She is mine! You and your pathetic boy will no longer be necessary! I shall finally give my children the mother they deserve! I will bring her back and erase her memories, and she will be my lover – just as she was supposed to be all those years ago!"

Gabriel cursed to himself. "She chose me over you back in our school years – it was her decision to marry me!"

"You lured her away with your fame and money – no more! With me she shall be free!"

Queen Bee stuck her tongue out at him. "How do you hope to resurrect her without owning all of the miraculous?"

HawkMoth sneered as the scepter began to glow. "I don't have to own them, they just have to be within the vicinity of the scepter – and judging from how large the storm has become, I would say that you have foolishly brought every miraculous under the same roof!"

 _Master Fu never said anything about that!_

The scepter was raised above his head, while his other staff rested in his free hand. Gabriel held his hand out towards him. "Go, statues, and stop him!"

The men and horses lunged at HawkMoth from every direction. "You fool," he spat at Gabriel, "I gave you those powers, and I can take them away. In fact, I can simply add you to the entire collection!"

He slammed his butterfly staff to the floor. The statues all froze in place, caught in positions of attack – including Gabriel. He was halfway up the staircase, a look of rage upon his brow. Chat gasped and raced to his side. "Father," he tried to shake him, "get up, father!"

The plan was falling apart. Ladybug and Vixen grabbed their weapons as Queen Bee whipped the air. "No more talk sounds about right," she snapped, "cuz we are done letting you mess up our city! Take him down!"

The trio dove at HawkMoth while Chat Noir stepped in front of his father, trying to protect him from the onslaught. HawkMoth chuckled hysterically. "Enough talk is right indeed!" He let a great bolt of energy out of the scepter, shattering the glass ceiling. Powerful winds started to suck everything up into the skies. The coffin was bolted to the ground, but all the trees and statues around it flew up into the clouds. Somehow the scepter was keeping HawkMoth from floating away.

"No, no, no," Chat clung to his father with one arm and the ledge with the other, barely able to keep them from flying away, "if we get sucked out then the city is history!"

Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around nearby railing and clung to it as her body was dragged into the air, Vixen clinging to her hand as they dangled. Queen Bee fought against the wind, trying to fly back to the ground.

Chat was losing grip on Gabriel. "We have to fix the ceiling before we end up-!"

His claws slipped. Gabriel flew into the air. Queen Bee went wide-eyed.

 _SMACK!_

Gabriel collided with her head, flung up past her by the winds as her body went limp. She began to ascend with the winds. Chat, Vixen and Ladybug screamed.

"CHLOE!"

 **And as the storm grows bigger we finally see the true side of Kubdel - insanity! Ah, well, at least Gabriel Agreste is out of the way - in a good way! He can stay up in the storm now, because the Cour Marly is about to get a whole lot more hectic!**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	44. Turtle Party!

"SHELTER!"

HawkMoth barely registered the voice as something round and green flew into the air and began blocking out the wind. "Where did that come from?!"

A gigantic turtle shell covered the entire courtyard roof. Though Gabriel was long gone, Queen Bee fell back into the courtyard. Chat Noir leapt into the air and caught her before she could hit the floor. As he stood she groaned and shook her head. "Thanks for the save. Next time, try not to toss any more statues at my head while I fly."

"How about I never throw anything at you period?" He put her onto her feet and looked up at the shell. "…I hope father will be okay."

"Being made of stone should keep him safe until we can get rid of the storm."

HawkMoth grimaced as the shell cut off any remaining gusts. Footsteps from behind Ladybug and Vixen drew his attention to the front entrance. "…I should have known you were bringing a few new tricks."

The girls followed his gaze and smiled. "Povas!"

The peacock hero strode into the room with his feather shield on his right arm. He held up one final feather and attached it to the shield. "Almost lost this to the storm."

 _The feather I used to call him_ , Ladybug sighed, _thank goodness._

HawkMoth looked down at each of the heroes: Chat Noir, Queen Bee, Vixen, Ladybug, and now Povas. Then he glanced up at the shell. "And where is the new hero?"

"Right here!"

He turned to find someone standing at the back entrance.

"And here!"

Now they were at the left entrance.

"Over here!"

Now the right-

"This side!"

Now the front-

"This way!"

"Look here!"

"You-who!"

HawkMoth almost dropped his jaw. There was one, two, and three…ten, eleven, twelve – an entire group of children now surrounding the courtyard, each of them wearing a dark green outfit and mask. All of them were calling to him, claiming to be the turtle hero.

And he had no idea who was telling the truth.

Ladybug had to contain her giggle. "What's the matter, HawkMoth? Feeling a little confused? I thought you wanted all us heroes under the same roof."

It was the craziest plan she had ever come up with. Using fabrics from Adrien and some quick acrobatic techniques from Joseph, with her skills in sowing, she and the class had created a team of turtle heroes to fend off HawkMoth – now all they had to do was stop him before he found out who was the real wearer.

Rose and Juleka wore green tunics and pants with cloth around their eyes, waving their arms and trying to get his attention. "I am the real heroine," the latter said as nonchalantly as possible, "so you have to focus on me."

Rose was a tad more enthusiastic about her role. "I TOTALLY HAVE THE PRETTY BRACELET THAT YOU WANT!"

Kim posed behind Chat Noir while Max did calculations behind Queen Bee. "If we can get him to focus on all of us, there is a 10.46% chance that he ends up forcing his powers outside of the range of the coffin-"

"Less math and more abs, my fellow turtle hero!"

HawkMoth tightened his grip on the scepter and staff. He had to figure how to keep all of them back from the coffin. Povas, Ladybug and Vixen began walking towards him. Chat Noir gave him his best glare. Queen Bee crossed her arms. "Ready to face the truth?"

"You children think you can just dress up like heroes and expect me to give into your pathetic whining? You insult me. I am willing to risk bending reality to save her life, and you expect me to stand by and let you stop me?!"

One turtle in particular stepped up at the top of the steps behind him. "Enough already. Give up the scepter and let this go before we hurt you."

HawkMoth slowly turned and faced the young girl in a green jumpsuit and mask – her pink hair sticking out in two tiny ponytails. "This is stupid, father, and you know it."

He noticed the bracelet on her arm – just like the bracelets on all their arms. "You may only need it to be under the same roof as the others," Kim pointed out, proving he had been eavesdropping, "but what happens if the real turtle leaves? Guess you would have to give chase."

Ladybug had been hoping the class would be a little more subtle about their entire plan, but with it all out in the open, she smirked. "Either you give up now or you end up chasing us around. I would suggest the former."

HawkMoth had yet to take his eyes off Alix. "…You want to know why I do this." He took her lack of a response as a reason to continue. "You want to know why I would do all these terrible things despite being your loving father – have you ever thought that maybe I do all these things for you?"

Alix's eyes widened. "What are you saying?"

"I lost your mother too easily, as I did with her," he pointed to Mrs. Agreste, "but here I have the best chance of fixing my mistake. I can give you and Jalil the perfect mother!"

Povas heard Rose gasp and sniffle behind him. "How romantic."

 _Romantically insane._

Alix bowed her head. "All this time you were just trying to…to fix our family?"

HawkMoth smiled. "I _can_ fix our family."

His daughter was silent for a moment, before finally looking back down at him. She descended the steps towards him. His smile slowly faded when he noticed her gritted teeth. "All this time," she spat, glaring at him, "you were using our family as an excuse for hurting others?!"

"A-Alix-"

"Our family is already perfect!"

The class awed at the volume she put behind her words. She took a deep breath without looking away from her father. Ladybug watched intently.

 _You can do this, Alix._

 **Time to put the spotlight on a real voice of reason that hopefully even HawkMoth can't ignore - his own daughter! Alix is definitely one of my favourite of the classmates, and I knew the time was coming for this confrontation, ever since I made Kubdel the real HawkMoth. And yes, I have included the entire class. Which one has the real turtle miraculous? Hmm...**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	45. Coping with Confetti

"Jalil and I never need anybody but you. We make the perfect family without destroying reality! The last thing we need is a stranger trying to be our mother! We could have gone on without you having to become a criminal – a monster!"

Alix spoke so hard that it almost threw HawkMoth over the coffin. A beeping quietly resonated through the Cour Marly. He was about to glance around, to try and find the turtle miraculous – the use of the giant shell was bound to reveal their identity soon – but Alix cleared her throat to show she was far from done.

"Everybody here has been akumatized by you now – you thought it okay to hurt all my friends? You thought Jalil and I – who you _also_ akumatized – would be alright with this?" She gestured to the coffin. "You thought _she_ would be alright with this?!"

HawkMoth was at a loss for words, something Chat Noir could see was new to him. Queen Bee leaned in close to whisper, "give her thirty more seconds before we lunge for the scepter. Also, the staff would be better in our hands than his."

Chat had almost been too caught up in Alix to remember what they were doing: trying to stop HawkMoth from raising his mother from the dead and ripping apart space and time as a result. He gave Queen Bee a nod. She signalled Ladybug, Vixen and Povas. She also signalled the real wielder of the turtle bracelet, because they were going to be revealed soon.

 _Twenty seconds left._

Alix reached out to HawkMoth, wanting to take his hand. "I am extremely mad, to say the least," she admitted up front, "but…" Her gritting teeth loosened into a sad smile. "There is a way to fix this. We can end all of this right here, right now…if you promise never to akumatize someone." She glanced at Ladybug, as if her eyes were asking, "is this good enough for now?"

Ladybug wished it were good enough forever, but the fact was, Mr. Kubdel and Mr. Agreste had become criminals. Vixen must have known her mind was racing, because she took her hand and gave her a nudge. "One step at a time."

 _Right. We can worry about arresting them after we know reality is safe._

HawkMoth looked at the hand of his daughter for a long time. The storm began to slow down. It was impossible to see beyond the shell, but the winds were definitely weakening. Alix smiled, though Vixen knew it was slightly forced. "Jalil and I are already happy enough to have you as our father. Please," she reached for him, "put the staff and scepter down and come home with us. Come home with your real family."

Most of the girls, led by Lila, gave an "aww" across the courtyard. The five heroes exchanged a look of relief. HawkMoth was looking so longingly at Alix…

"So close."

Alix cocked an eyebrow at her father.

"I come so close to fixing everything…and you want me to just stop?"

HawkMoth smacked Alix aside, so hard that she hit the steps on her back and let out a yelp. Kim jumped down and dashed to her side.

"You want me to stop healing our pain!?"

He raised the staff and scepter. The storm was as loud as a crashing tsunami.

" _I will not stop until her love is mine_!"

Povas likewise raised his shield and ran up the steps. "Grab them!"

Queen Bee, Chat Noir and Ladybug lunged at HawkMoth, but he jumped out of their grasp and behind the coffin. He swatted Queen Bee out of the air as the top of his staff glowed. "Stay out of my way until I save her!"

Dozens of akuma butterflies that had been stored away in his staff burst forth into the air of the Cour Marly. Vixen blew out a terrifying tune on her flute, and suddenly there were three copies of every student. "The confetti," she yelled, "use it, now!"

All three Roses cheered with glee as the entire class – times three – revealed bags on their backs and flipped the flaps open. Reaching their hands into the colourful paper, they tossed it into the air and whooped. "BYE-BYE, LITTLE AKUMAS!"

Kim pulled Alix back as the butterflies dove into the confetti, possessing every yellow and black strip of paper. HawkMoth scowled and looked around.

 _Beep-beep-beep!_

There, behind a mass of the class! He saw a shoe-no, a boot! "Come out, come out," he called to the true turtle wielder, "and I will cease this senseless chaos."

The giant shell vanished and the winds began to pick up again, tugging at har and cloth. Povas jumped between HawkMoth and the wielder. "Not on your life!" He rammed his shield into HawkMoth, and the staff and scepter went flying out of his hands. Ladybug grabbed the staff with her yo-yo as the scepter was caught by Queen Bee. Chat Noir put his baton over HawkMoth's chest. Povas let out a sigh, that of someone beyond their years. "Much too close."

The entire class spoke at once. "Did we do it?!" Their gathered voices nearly broke the windows. Vixen plugged her ears but gave Nino and his copies a thumbs up.

 _Probably should have thought through this illusion._

Alix and her doubles stepped down beside Queen Bee, all three grimacing. "Do we arrest him before or after moving the coffin out of the museum?"

HawkMoth chuckled, cutting off her answer. All eyes, real or not, were on him as he laid under the baton and Povas' shield. "All of this useless danger you put your classmates in."

"Hey," Sabrina snapped, shocking everybody, "we chose to help!"

"You were unnecessary."

"Maybe, but at least we were here, and at least we listen!"

Povas brought the edge of his shield to his neck. "What are you trying to spit out?"

HawkMoth grinned. "The scepter needs all our powers – our miraculous power!"

Queen Bee had questions that were stifled when she looked down at the staff she held.

Because it was _glowing_.

 **HawkMoth is a bit too far gone, and the truth of the scepter is about to be revealed! And sooner of later the true wielder of the turtle miraculous will have to be in the spotlight, which will bring the team up to six - but even that may not be enough to stop this maniac! (Also, yes, confetti is the true hero this chapter, keeping akuma possessions to zero).**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	46. Snapping up a New Hero

HawkMoth had prepared for the surprise on the faces of the heroes as the scepter Queen Bee had was starting to glow and hum on its own. "I have already begun the resurrection. If one does not intend to use the scrolls to raise Nefertiti, then they are using it to raise the dead – and that can only be done by contact with seven miraculous!"

Queen Bee gasped. "You mean-?!" She felt the scepter tug itself out of her hands and fly straight at Chat Noir. "Look out!"

Chat caught the scepter in time to note how the glow brightened, before it then tore out of his claws and flew at Ladybug. "Look-"

She barely managed to catch it with the staff in her other hand before it shone and flung out of her arms and towards Vixen. "Why is it so hot?!"

Vixen tried not to catch the scepter, but it flew too close to her face and her instincts took in. She had held it for only a split second, her attention taken and the illusionary copies of everyone vanishing, before it shot over at Povas, who threw his shield up to bounce it back – only, it did not hit the floor.

It was floating before him.

HawkMoth took the chance distraction and kicked out Povas' leg from under him, causing him to drop the shield and hit the floor on his elbow. The scepter flew into his chest, shoving him down the steps. As soon as it made contact with his costume, it rose into the air again and turned. Povas sprung to his feet. "Wayzz!"

The scepter flew through the illusions, destroying every single clone in the courtyard. It flew up and over the heads of Nathanael, Rose and Juleka –

 _Smash!_

HawkMoth sat up against the coffin and narrowed his eyes; the scepter had drove itself into one of the arched openings, the wearer of the turtle bracelet having ducked. "You, of all people, think you can wield a miraculous…my little Volpina?"

Lila stood up with Wayzz nibbling away at a cookie in her palms. As the scepter tried prying free of the stone, she glared back at HawkMoth. The real miraculous hung off her wrist.

 _Oh, boy_ , Chat Noir gulped, _she looks beyond mad._

Wayzz finished off his cookie and looked back at HawkMoth. "Master Fu was proud of the hero Ladybug chose to wield my miraculous."

Lil smirked. "And you should be afraid. I am not our Volpina. I am not your _anything_. You may have gotten the best of me one time, but you will never harm me or my friends every again." She glanced down at Wayzz. "Ready to go again?"

"Whenever you are!"

The scepter was nearly free. Rose and Juleka tried grabbing onto it, but they retracted their hands from the sheer heat running up and down the handle. Lila raised her wrist above her head as the Kwami flew beside.

"WAYZZ, SNAP IN!"

Wayzz flew into the miraculous, and before the scepter could pull itself out, her transformation was complete. She was now decked out in a dark green jumpsuit of a scaly pattern, matching her green eye mask with thin emerald lenses, and the dark green tips of her long hair. A shell hung on her back underneath her hair. She did a twirl and winked. "Taruga is here to help save the day and look amazing while doing so."

HawkMoth smirked. "Excellent."

The scepter shot out of the arch, inches from the faces of Rose and Juleka. Taruga leapt out of its reach and on top of the nearest ledge. "Take care of HawkMoth," she called to Ladybug, "while I distract the scepter!"

Nathanael looked around. He hated the idea of his girlfriend being in so much danger. "Guys," he shook Maylene by her shoulder, "we have to help her somehow!"

Maylene thought for a moment before snapping her fingers. "Ooh, I know how!"

Povas stood and turned to the others. "We need to move Mrs. Agreste and HawkMoth out of the museum and wait for the storm to die down."

Queen Bee pointed at the scepter, currently chasing Taruga from ledge to ledge. "And how do we stop the scepter?"

Ladybug glanced at her yo-yo and the honey whip. "We can hold it until the effects of the power it…uh, took from us, gives out."

Chat looked down at his mother. "…We can take her to the mansion. Natalie must be so worried about me and father…" He stopped himself from thinking about his father. His stone body would keep him safe. It had to.

HawkMoth chuckled again. "Not so fast – not as fast as me!" He jumped to his feet and flipped over the coffin, down beside Ladybug. He grabbed his staff and flung her over his shoulder, into Queen Bee as he slid out the sword from its metal sheath. "You think I haven't trained for such a battle?" He swiped at everyone around him, including Alix and Kim. "I can handle all of you on any level of this museum!"

Alix stepped closer to him. "Wait a minute-"

 _Shing!_

Kim yanked Alix out of the way as HawkMoth swiped at her. His eyes were wide and his mouth had contorted into a hideous smile. "Nothing will stop me from fixing this."

She trembled as Kim pulled her behind himself. "Dad…"

Ladybug and Queen Bee readied their yo-yo and whip. They locked eyes as HawkMoth readied to swipe again.

"…Now!"

They simultaneously whipped out, trying to cinch his arms.

 _Shing!_

His sword slid along the honey and wire, sending them flying over the group. Using the time as a distraction, he ducked under and lunged at Ladybug. Vixen shoved them out of the way as he let his sword go wild. Chat Noir stood in front of the coffin when he glanced its way, his green eyes glowering. "You are never coming near her again."

"Time is not on your side," he replied as Taruga dashed over the ledge beside them, the scepter inches behind, "and soon, she will be coming near _me_."

 **The scepter has come to life and is chasing around the true turtle hero - Lila! I know most of you were probably expecting Nino, since he is the favourite to become the next turtle hero in the show, but then I thought, "why not do something new"? So her you have it, Lila the hero (kudos to those who get her hero name ;) Taruga away!), facing off against HawkMoth with the rest of the team!**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	47. Best Class, Top Class, Love This Class

"Lila-er, Taruga," Nathanael called out, "come this way, and hurry!"

Taruga leapt to the ground and rolled out of the way, the scepter inches behind her heels. She got to her feet in time to notice Nathanael stepping in front of her. "What are you…?"

The scepter hung in the air as the class made a circle around it, Taruga on the outside and hidden behind their shadows. It neared Nathanael, but as Taruga dashed behind Maylene beside him, the scepter followed suit; no signs of it letting up.

 _Ooh_ , she smirked, _way to confuse it. Try and catch me now, you resurrecting rube!_

She ducked behind Ivan, then Rose, then Sabrina, and the scepter had no way of touching before she was behind another student. The class began to giggle. "Geez," Kim snickered, "they had a few kinks to work out in the GPS department back in ancient Egypt, huh?" He was waiting for Alix to laugh, but her attention was elsewhere. "…Alix?"

Her eyes had strayed back to HawkMoth, who was currently facing off against the other heroes. He sliced at Povas, ducked under Queen Bee, knocked Chat Noir away, clashed sword to flute with Vixen, and kicked Ladybug aside.

 _If they can't defeat him before the storm lets up…_

Ladybug had never wanted to let out a curse so much. She knew the class was doing their best to keep the scepter at bay, and yet she and the others were unable to get any closer to HawkMoth. He fought like a professional. She glanced at Povas. "Tell us you've faced worse than a guy in a suit wielding a sword."

Povas drew her out of the way as Vixen and Queen Bee tried taking HawkMoth from two sides. "It has to be the scepter."

"How can the scepter make him so strong?"

Povas watched HawkMoth swiftly ease around Chat Noir and kick him into the coffin. "He was the first to hold the scepter. I bet his touch formed a pack with it: every hero that touches it gives him a boost of power, because he is the one doing the resurrection. In fact," he narrowed his eyes and bit his lower lip, "he may even be learning our skills from it."

"You mean, some sort of psychic connection?"

"Those Egyptians were far more intelligent that history leads you to believe."

Ladybug glanced over at the class. Kim, Ivan and Nathanael had grabbed the scepter and were at a standstill, desperately trying to hold it in the air while Taruga backed away.

"…The scepter! Of course!" She smacked her forehead and let out a terrible groan. "How could I be so stupid?!" She whispered into Povas' ear before he could question her, and in a moment his eyes lit up. "Right?!"

"No wonder Fu saw a leader in you," he smiled, "with a brain like that."

She blushed and waved him off. "Just do your part – and try not to go getting caught this time, okay?"

He blushed back and rose to his feet. "HawkMoth!"

HawkMoth shoved Vixen back and turned to him. "Povas."

"Enough," he held his shield high above his head in a threatening manner, "if you won't give up, then I have no choice – the body will have to go!"

Queen Bee caught on quicker than Ladybug thought she would, pulling Chat Noir back towards her and Vixen. HawkMoth gasped and stepped back against the coffin. "You," he was practically writhing in anger as Povas moved closer, "you would never do something so…so…so evil! You have empty threats!"

Povas cracked his knuckles, making Queen Bee all the more proud. "Your actions threaten Paris. Your plans threaten reality. If she were alive, she would know who was in the right…and she would know who was really evil."

Chat Noir gawked. He opened his mouth to intervene, but Ladybug shook her head and pulled the group in for a huddle. "Listen to me. I know how to stop this – permanently."

As they spoke, the class was becoming exhausted. The scepter was beginning to smack them out of the way in order to reach Taruga. Rose and Juleka flew into Maylene and Max, while Ivan and Maylene bowled Ivan and Alix over. Soon it was just Sabrina and Nathanael left, standing before and behind it. Taruga peeked out from behind a ledge.

 _If it so much as scuffs Nathanael or Sabrina, I swear to every Egyptian god…_

"Nate," Sabrina blew her bangs out of her face and mask, "on three."

Nathanael nodded with a grim expression.

"One…two…"

The scepter aimed at Taruga.

"Three!"

The duo jumped onto the scepter, smacking it into the floor and holding it down. The rest of the class helped one another up. Taruga climbed onto the ledge and wiped sweat from her brow. She could feel the strain on her leg muscles. Nathanael looked over his shoulder at her and grinned. She could only grin back.

 _I picked a keeper-!_

The scepter was rumbling. Nathanael and Sabrina began to shake. Ivan, Alix and Kim put their own hands on the scepter to help, but still it vibrated. Juleka dragged Rose and Maylene back. "I think we may be fighting a losing-"

 _Bang!_

"Battle."

The scepter threw all five off, throwing them into the rest of the class. Taruga stood and faced its glowing gold gleam. "Fine, then," she huffed, "round two."

Nathanael looked up in time to watch the scepter ram into Taruga. He choked on his gasp as gold crashed into green. "Lila!"

 _Clang!_

Alix let out a breath of relief. "Nice one."

Taruga blocked the scepter off with her shell shield/boomerang, holding it inches from her chest. "Nice try," she said, "but I can do this all-"

 _Bam!_

With inhuman force, the scepter smashed Taruga into the wall, shield and all. She winced in pain and slid to the floor, her shield falling to her side. "Ugh. I can…do this…all day."

The scepter hung above her and aimed for her heart.

Then it dove.

"LILA!"

 **MY BABY! it hurts to put her in so much pain, but alas, realism is a large factor of actions scenes. Let us hope she and the others will be able to find a way out. And for those asking why the story has been in the Cour Marly for so long...well, this IS Marinette's class, after all. Do you honestly think they would ever give up the fight? The length of the arc in the courtyard is meant to express their determination...and give me time to play out with all our favourite characters, of course ;)**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	48. Pillow Fight?

"MIND YOUR OWN BEESWAX!"

Taruga had her eyes shut tight so not to see the scepter when it crushed her ribs…but…it never came. She slowly opened them again and glanced above her head. The scepter was glued to the wall with thick honey, shaking but unable to break free. Queen Bee was flying overhead of the other heroes with her whip out. She blew on it as if there was smoke coming from a gun. "That is how this queen rolls."

Chat Noir jumped over the ledge and smiled at Taruga. He held his hands out and stretched his claws. "CATACLYSM!"

Taruga ducked her head as Chat ran over and slammed his palms against the scepter, black ooze flowing into its golden shine. He smirked. "So much for the…resurrection?" He awed as the gold not only didn't rust, but seemed to be glowing brighter. "…Uh-"

"Look out!" Taruga tackled Chat to the floor by his waist. As they hit the tile, the scepter let out a loud groan and broke through the wall. Sticky honey flew into the hair and hands of the class. It was hovering in the air again, half of the wall now crumbled beneath it. Taruga helped Chat to his feet and glared at the scepter. "That thing…it absorbed your power!"

Chat heard his ring beep. "Not good. I de-transform in a few minutes."

"Same here," Queen Bee hovered above them as her comb beeped, "and we have nothing to feed our Kwami to recharge."

"I would volunteer to go and grab some food," Nino said, "but…" He pointed to the storm, now sucking up cars and streetlamps. "I think staying inside will be much safer."

Ladybug and Vixen had seen the entire thing. As Povas and HawkMoth dueled by the coffin, the duo sat atop a nearby ledge. Ladybug turned to Vixen. "So much for phase A."

"It was a good plan. Time for phase B." She held her flute up. "ILL-WILL-USION!" As the big orb of light appeared on the end of the instrument, she swung it at the scepter. "Everybody, out of the way!"

The orb flew by Nino and hit the scepter head on.

 _Chat Noir may have been bummed out by his powers being absorbed, but the only way for mine to work is for absorption!_

The scepter was shaking again. Taruga held his shell shield up just in case, but Nino shook his head and smiled. "No need – Vixen totally owned it!"

Ladybug had figured as much. The scepter may not have been a living person, but it had a mind of its own, and thus the illusion was messing with its sense of direction, just like if it were sick. It was swaying back and forth like a pendulum. Everyone back away as she hopped down and held her yo-yo up. "We should be able to finish it off with my ability."

Chat Noir grinned. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"LUCKY CHARM!"

When she caught it again she sighed, showing off her new spotted pillow. "Never simple." Her mind whirled, thinking of a way to…!

"Guys," she spoke to the class, "take off your masks and tie them together! I need a rope! Chat, Taruga, Queen, Vixen," she raced and slid under the scepter, "time to play 'pass-the-shell'!"

 _We just need to keep it distracted for a moment._

By now the scepter was attempting to make contact with Taruga again, though it was swaying as though exhausted. Ladybug rested the pillow back against the broken wall and held her hand out. "Here, scepter, scepter, scepter, over here!"

Taruga tossed her shell over the scepter and Ladybug caught it. The scepter swung from one side to the other, trying to figure out which was the real turtle heroine.

 _The illusion has it confused. It senses the turtle but can no longer trust its eyes…er, well, not eyes, but what it sees. The shell is sure to keep it busy._

Alix was quickly tying the masks to one another. The scepter finally chose to swing at Ladybug, spinning towards her face. Before it could make contact, however, she rolled out of the way and chucked the shell up to Queen Bee. "Over there!"

Queen Bee caught the shell and waved it around. The scepter flew up at her, but she was too fast and flew to the side before throwing the shell to Chat Noir. "That way!"

 _Beep-beep-beep!_

"Uh oh," Chloe said as she de-transformed in the air, "not now!" She let out a high squeal and fell into the arms of Vixen, who chuckled at her fright. "Oh, because you would handle falling out of the sky any better!"

 _Beep-beep-beep!_

Now Alya had de-transformed, still holding Chloe as the duo sighed. "I really wish there was a bit more time in costume."

Meanwhile, Chat was letting the scepter chase him around in circles while Ladybug and Taruga kept the class back. Kim and Alix were holding either end of the rope made up of their masks. "Okay," Chat panted, "can we switch out now?"

 _Beep-beep-beep!_

Adrien stumbled onto his knees and elbows, the shell sliding out to the feet of Taruga. Ladybug helped him up as the scepter hummed behind them.

 _Now or never!_

Taruga held her shield up. Ladybug grabbed the pillow. Kim and Alix got ready to run. Alya and Chloe stepped out of the way.

Then the scepter shot towards Taruga. She raised the shell shield. "Ladybug!"

Ladybug whipped the pillow at the shell, and just as the scepter was about to make contact, the pillow cushioned the blow. Taruga slid back an inch but was unharmed: the pillow was now in between the scepter and her. Alix and Kim ran over and, sliding the middle of the rope between the shield and pillow, quickly tied the latter to the scepter. It harmlessly bounced off her.

Ladybug grinned, as did the rest of the class. "We…we did it! We stopped the scepter from-"

A horrific scream cut through their cheering.

 **Sorry this is so late, I had a major sleep-in!**

 **Yeah, I was having a hard time thinking up a cliffhanger ending, but I hope this works at getting you guys excited for the next part of the story! This was a fun fight to write, thinking up a way of defeating a scepter. I mean, why NOT use a spotted pillow to battle ancient Egyptian magic? Obviously it was the only logical choice...XD**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	49. Stab, Stab, Fall in Pain!

Ladybug, Taruga, Adrien, Chloe and Alya looked around the courtyard. The class was frantic. It only took a few seconds to realize that Rose was the one who had screamed, and had fainted. She laid on the knees of Juleka, who was staring across the courtyard with watery eyes. One by one the classmates followed her gaze, each gasping in horror. Chloe was the last to see what the cause of such a reaction was – and it nearly made her heart stop.

"…P-Povas?"

While they had been dealing with the scepter, which was now bumping against Taruga without any way of contact, Povas had been fighting HawkMoth on his own. They stood toe to toe atop the coffin, Mrs. Agreste below them as the storm loomed overheard, though unable to pull them out with its weaker winds – the strongest were tearing apart the city. No, it was not them atop the coffin that had the class terrified.

It was the sword sticking in one end of Povas' chest and out the other.

"DAD, NO!"

It was Alix screaming, though Chloe could barely hear. Her ears were ringing, her head pounding, and palms sweating.

"Finally," HawkMoth gloated as he yanked his sword out and slid it back into his staff, "I get to be rid of you."

Povas fell to one knee, hands over his chest where the wound was hidden. His was gritting his teeth from the pain and was not giving any of the classmates a glance.

"K-Kubdel," Adrien gawked, "how…how could you?!"

Ladybug was the first to notice the storm growing, not in size but strength. Taruga nodded at the others and chucked her shell towards the open roof. "SHELTER!" Once again the courtyard was under the protection of the large shell. Her bracelet began to beep. "Ladybug," she turned, "…we need a new plan."

The scepter continued to bump against Taruga, tapping her hip. No one paid any mind to it. Not with what Chloe did next.

 _No._

Her feet were moving on their own.

 _No!_

She lunged before anyone could catch their breath.

 _NO!_

HawkMoth had no time to prepare himself in a proper stance. Chloe bowled right into him, and together they hit the ground behind the coffin, the staff skidding out of reach from either. Povas took his turn to gawk, though with much pain. "C-Chloe?!"

She stumbled back to the coffin and climbed up, glaring at HawkMoth as he stood up and gave her an equally dirty look. "You charged me? How unladylike of you."

Chloe leaned closer to Povas in a protective manner. "A true lady risks everything for those she loves. I would charge you again and again if it meant the end of your insanity!"

Povas bit his tongue as a surge of pain ran through his body. The stab had nearly gotten his heart. Any closer and…well, the suit kept him from aging, but a fatal hit could end his career…and his life.

"Honestly," HawkMoth growled, "this is all just useless stalling! The storm has been ready for a time now, and the scepter has but one hero to make contact with."

Ladybug hear him and ran to the coffin, jumping up and pointing at the pillowed scepter. "Think before you speak. No way can it finish the pact with you!"

HawkMoth chuckled. "You idiots."

The scepter was humming angrily. It dashed from corner to corner of the courtyard, nearly taking out most of the class. Alya, Nino and Adrien hit the floor on their stomachs. Kim attempted to kick it out of the air until Alix forced him down. Sabrina and Maylene toppled over one another as it flew over their heads. Taruga and Nathanael stood back to back as it spun around them. The speed was becoming too fast to keep their eyes on.

"Lila?"

"Taruga."

"Whatever."

"Respect."

"Idea?"

"Nope."

"Great."

"Sarcastic."

They only had time for one worded responses. The scepter had their attention. Ladybug tried to figure out how best to make the scepter stop again.

 _The pillow will keep them safe-!_

She saw the scepter turn towards Nathanael. "Get down!"

Too late. The scepter plowed into his stomach, throwing him so hard against the wall that he fell to the ground in a limp heap of green. Taruga gasped and started towards him. "Nat-"

 _Crack!_

The handle of the scepter drove into the back of her neck. She let out a pained groan before her own body hit the tiles. Adrien, Nino and Alya gasped in turn.

"Lila!"

 _Beep-beep-beep!_

She de-transformed but did not move. The scepter was now glowing like a star, muffled slightly by the pillow but nonetheless blinding. HawkMoth cackled and stuck his hand out. "Come to me, my beautiful key to glory!"

Ladybug tried to catch the scepter before it reached him, but it was going so fast that Chloe had to drag her down before it drove right through her. It gently placed itself in his grasp. He raised it above his head.

"Now it begins – _NOW I SHALL HAVE MY VICTORY_!"

Cackling the entire time, HawkMoth ripped the pillow off the top of the scepter and let it glow over the entire Cour Marly. The storm outside was so loud it made hearing one another shriek impossible. Ladybug, Chloe and Povas could do nothing but watch with wide eyes as a big ball of pure white energy began to form above the scepter.

"Povas," Chloe whispered, "is that…?"

He didn't have to hear her to know what she was asking. "Yes," he whispered back, hoping she already knew the terrible answer. "That…is reality bending in on itself."

The class backed away, dragging Lila and a now conscious Rose back beside Nathanael and sitting them up as the energy let off an eerie groan. Tiny tendrils of light were slowing reaching out like the tentacles of an octopus. It kept growing and growing and growing, all the while bathing HawkMoth in its light. He grinned at Ladybug.

"Welcome to the end!"

Ladybug felt cold all over.

 _…We failed._

 **Things are not going well for our heroic class. Of course, this story is not over yet, and I'm sure that these guys will be able to think up some way of getting around reality bending in on itself. I can only hope you readers will be willing to stick around - I know this is my longest story, but I promise that I have an end coming that will surely make it all worth it!**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	50. A Necessary Vanishing Act

Povas cursed more than he ever had before, knowing that no one could hear him; it came from a blend of anger and pain. The sword hadn't cut anything vital, but he definitely had some internal bleeding to deal with. Also, reality was shredding itself apart before their eyes.

 _If I had just been faster…_

HawkMoth was cackling beneath a great white nothingness that was slowing reaching out to the classmates. The dark purple confetti scattered around the Cour Marly - filled with akumas - were becoming restless. Chloe and Ladybug were beside him, staring in horror as tendrils of reality fluttered in the winds. "P-Povas," they spoke in unison, "w-what now?!"

He wanted to give them a definite answer, but he had never faced the destruction of reality on his mission before. He heard Adrien and Alya moving the rest of the class back, especially Alix. She was screaming at her father, though it was hard to hear over the storm.

"How could you do this?! You want everyone in Paris to _DIE?!_ "

"I need her," HawkMoth snapped, "I need her more than you will ever know!"

"Ladybug," Povas yelled over the winds, "get everybody out of here while I distract him-"

"But you're hurt worse than any of us!"

"I can-" He was about to tell her how he could handle himself, but a great surge of pain raced up his spine, cutting him off. "…We…go…"

Chloe carefully helped him off the coffin. Ladybug kept her eyes on the large white blob in the air. It was hard to describe beyond it being…well, nothing. It was reaching for the confetti, as if it were trying to…!

 _The akumas are still active inside them!_

The class was gathered by the broken part of the wall near the front entrance. Chloe and Adrien slipped Povas over their shoulders as Ladybug, Alya and Nino stood near the bottom of the stairs. "We need to get out of here quicker," she told the others, pointing to the floor, "Because if any of those tentacles touch the confetti, I fear they might-?!"

Her fears were coming true. One by one the confetti rose into the air, touched by the tendrils and fluttering side by side before the class. They merged together, forming a big…hovering…

 _No…_

Three ginormous akumas made of confetti were fluttering in the air – and that was merely the beginning of the oddities. Every time one of the tendrils touched a surface, reality stretched, and contorted, and let loose something unfathomable.

 _How are we supposed to stop this?!_

Part of the courtyard walls were crumbling like dust. The winds turned into bubbles and petals. A scent of cinnamon lingered in the air. Adrien could barely focus on one thing. "Uh…so…this is a bit more than we've dealt with before."

"We can handle it."

The class turned to Juleka. They had to have heard her wrong…only, she showed no signs of any joking around. Instead, she crossed her arms and looked each of them in the eyes. "I said we can handle it, just like we were ready to handle the akuma the first time."

Max fixed his glasses as he stood beside Nathanael and Lila, keeping them safe from the vision of the akumas. "We had a plan for dealing with the akumas – and we had confetti. Now we have nothing, and Povas is hurt."

"Then we come up with something here and now. If Marinette, Alya, Chloe, Graham, Adrien and Lila are going to risk their lives for our city, then so should we."

Sabrina nodded vigorously beside her. "Someone should get Povas out of here and to the nearest doctor."

Povas shook his head despite the agreements Adrien and Chloe murmured. "I stay until we can find a way to defeat him."

Chloe was getting extremely anxious. She could see little of the wound on his chest, but from the way he was heavily breathing, she knew he could possibly only last a few more minutes at the most. "We need a plan first, and you need immediate medical attention!"

Lila groaned, drawing attention to her and Nathanael as their eyes fluttered open and they sat up. "Whoa," she saw the akumas, "where did those comes from…and what is that white cloud doing overhead?"

 _BOOM!_

The ledge cutting off HawkMoth from the classmates exploded, showering the group in concrete. HawkMoth stood atop the coffin, the glass rippling like liquid. The three huge akumas kept to his sides as he held the staff and scepter in the air. "Just you wait," he snapped, "because soon, I will have my wife! MY QUEEN!"

Alya glanced at Ladybug. She could see the panic in her eyes. She could feel the tension in the way her spots were shaking.

 _Okay. We can do this. Marinette can lead us. Adrien can keep us going. Chloe can churn on our spirits. Graham can give us directions. I can…I can…um…?_

She felt someone take her hand. It was Nino, and he was giving her his biggest smile. He leaned in close and whispered into her ear.

"Let the villain do all the work."

It took her a moment to register what he said and how it could help them. When it finally did set in, she smiled nearly as wide as him. "You can be a real genius sometimes."

"Uh, you mean _all_ the time."

She ignored him and turned to Ladybug. "We need to get rid of the scepter. If it vanishes, then so should the storm."

"We already tried cataclysm. How do you suggest we destroy it now?"

"Forget destroying it," she pointed to the large rift in reality above HawkMoth, "it just needs to _vanish_."

Povas had overheard Alya, and he could see the wheels turning inside Ladybug. She pulled in the class for a huddle and began to elaborate with Alya and Nino.

 _This could work…it has to work – we have no other choice…if something does go awry…I'll just have to do my part…even if no one else knows what that part is._

 **MY FIFTIETH CHAPTER :D I never thought I would make it this far in a story...ever! Thank you all for your support, but this story is still going, because we still have a big baddie trying to destroy the world. What do YOU think Alya and Nino have planned? Just you wait, because this is the final showdown, the move to end all moves - if it works, that is!**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	51. In a Class of Their Own

_He is totally planning something._

Chloe watched as Rose and Juleka wrapped up the wound on Povas with extra green fabric from their costumes. He gave them a pained thumbs up, but she knew better than anyone there that he was working on something he had yet to share with the class. The way he was averting her gaze, his constant glancing at HawkMoth, and how he was still gripping his shield: definite signs of a plan forming in his brain.

 _His stupid, stupid, stupidly handsome brain…no, no_ , she shook her head and turned back to Alya and the others, _pull yourself together, Bourgeois! Boy troubles are the least of your worries! The fate of the world is at stake!_

"The guys is a tad distracted right now," Lila said as she rubbed a bump on the back of her head, "so we should have at the very least a few minutes before he catches on." She held her wrist out so the others could see her bracelet. "Get out here, Wayzz."

She, Chloe, Adrien, Alya and Ladybug formed a tight circle crouched beside Povas, with each of their Kwami in the center, save for Arguss and Tikki. Plagg, Huneyy, Wayzz and Trixx looked up at the reality rift and gulped. "Too bad we have no camembert," Plagg moaned, "or we could transform again."

Sabrina slipped her backpack off and handed it to Chloe. "No need to fear," she winked, "when Sabrina is here."

Chloe opened the bag to reveal snacks – the favourite snacks of the four Kwami. "Unbelievable," she awed as the Kwami dug in, "but when-"

"While we were preparing the costumes. I thought you might need a pick-me-up."

Chloe gave her a big hug. "You are so much better than a best friend."

Sabrina grinned. "I know."

As the Kwami gobbled up their food, Alya pointed to the rift: HawkMoth continued to watch the coffin below it, as if waiting for Mrs. Agreste to simply sit up on her own. Adrien kept his eyes off the scene as much as possible as she explained her idea.

"That rift is giving off major power, right? I bet we can use it to our advantage. If we can get the scepter into the rift, it should either absorb or implode."

Povas gingerly prodded the fabric over his wound. "Explain the difference."

"Both work in our favour: if the scepter absorbs the rift then it should reverse the effect, and if it implodes then it takes the storm with it."

"What happens when we get caught up in the explosion?"

"Ladybug should be able to deflect the explosion and fix the rift with her lucky charm. I know," she could see the worry creasing on her brow, "a lot of pressure on you, but I know you can do it. We just need to make sure the timing is right."

"Uh, guys?" Nathanael was pointing at HawkMoth and the akumas. "I think HawkMoth may be a bit more distracted than we originally thought."

HawkMoth was standing beside the coffin now as the storm slowed to a crawling spiral. He was tracing his gloved hand along the glass while the confetti akumas circled over his head. Adrien and Alix looked away. It was too… _awkward_ to look at for too long.

Trixx swallowed the last of her snack before nudging Alya by her ear. "Grabbing the scepter and getting it into the rift will not be easy. Reality is falling apart around us, and those akumas are still under his control."

Lila gestured to the class, each and every one of them smiling back at the Kwami. "Good thing we have such a trustworthy team."

Trixx nuzzled Alya with her cheek. "You sure you want to do this?"

"Do we have any other choice?"

Chloe glanced at Povas, who was once again looking the other way. Trixx noticed but decided not to call him out. "I doubt it."

"Then we have to do it before we lose everything."

Povas raised his hand, though it looked painful. "And how do we go about with this plan?"

" _Us_ , not you."

The class turned to Chloe as she crossed her arms, Huneyy repeating her action. "You were just wounded in battle. You stay back and keep watch for any stragglers who try to get inside the museum while we work."

"Chloe-"

"You want to question the daughter of the mayor?"

"You expect me to sit here and not help?"

"I expect you to listen to me!"

"I have to-"

"You have to live!"

Everyone, even HawkMoth, were staring at her now. Povas gave Chloe a moment to catch her breath. "Chloe, I can still fight."

"You _have_ fought," she almost had tears in her eyes, "and it nearly…you almost…look," wiping her eyes on her sleeve she gave him a stern frown, "if you keep fighting, you might not…be able to fight anymore."

HawkMoth sighed rom behind the coffin. "You still continue to fight me? Do you not see what I have accomplished?" He gestured to the many crack and seams in the courtyard walls and floor, each letting out some sort of scene or force: water, greenery, wind, light, darkness, etc. "You can do nothing. Reality is too far gone here."

The three akumas loomed over the Cour Marly. Adrien and Ladybug stood along with the rest of the class. He took her hand for only a moment. "We can do this."

"I said that last time, and look what it got us: an injured peacock hero."

"That is not your fault."

"It is. As the leader…"

Adrien pulled her in and gave her his best kiss, bringing out a couple "oohs" and "awws" from their classmates. Then he leaned back and held his white ring up. "A leader is only as good as their team – and I like to think we have a pretty good team."

Ladybug looked over the class, and the Kwami, and Povas. Then she pecked Adrien on the cheek and smiled.

"The best team any heroine could ask for – not how about we stop this once and for all?"

 **Whoop-whoop, the class is spurring into action now, and this is the time to finally end the battle - only, there may be more at stake than they realize. These next few chapters will be a ton of fun to write, getting to include all of the classmates. Mind you, remembering to keeping everyone in the class will be a challenge, so wish me some serious luck!**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	52. Pretty Dangerous Homework

There was a flurry of transformations and green blurs as HawkMoth watched the class split up. It was seconds before he realized that the class had split into three groups and were running out the front and side entrances of the Cour Marly. With them ran Chat Noir, Taruga and Povas, though the latter was keeping a slower pace.

"After them," he commanded the confetti akumas, "before they can leave the building!"

The three akumas phased through the walls and fluttered after the groups, leaving HawkMoth to face Ladybug, Queen Bee and Vixen. He smirked, placing a hand on the coffin. "You think you can face me on your own?"

 _I hope so_ , Ladybug thought as the storm grew louder, _because we have no chance of being heard by the others if we yell for help._

* * *

Chat Noir led Alix, Kim and Max back along the halls where the lamassu were standing guard. It was a sight watching the statues react to the large akuma. "Uh," Max fixed his glasses as they ran past, "what happens when the akuma akumatizes them? They have life because Agreste is still an akuma, right?!"

Chat tried to not think about his still stone father amidst the storm. The trio entered the Egyptian Exhibit and found Jalil still standing over his bodyguard. "Jalil," Alix raced over and tackled him in a huge hug, "dad is…we have to…the storm is…"

"Hey," Jalil knelt and looked Alix in the eye, "whatever happens from here on out, we can take care of it."

Alix sniffled, trying her best to clear away the tears before the boys could see. "I know…I just, I tried talking to him, but he was too…too…far gone."

Jalil pulled her in for another hug as Chat faced his bodyguard. "You knew," he sighed, "all this time, you knew I was Adrien, and you knew my father was HawkMoth."

His bodyguard was silent for a moment, the sound of the incoming akuma growing louder. "If I said anything I would have been fired. I would not leave you and Natalie alone with him until you and Ladybug had defeated HawkMoth."

"That may come sooner than you thought," Chat smiled, "if father has his way."

The bodyguard smiled back – and then he gasped. "The butterfly!"

The group spun around as the akuma entered the exhibit, followed by one of the lamassu from the hallway. The two lamassu guarding the bodyguard and Jalil stepped closer, but Chat held his hand up for them to stop. "Trust me, this is what your queen would want."

 _One point to Chloe and her charms._

It took about three seconds for the akuma to choose its host. It dove into the back of the lamassu from the hallway, turning its eyes dark purple and rearing it up on its hind legs. Chat glanced at his bodyguard. "Get Jalil and Alix out of here and head for the police! Make sure they set up a perimeter around the Louvre!"

The bodyguard stood and nodded. "I promise to keep them safe."

Chat nodded back as the three of them ran out of the exhibition, leaving him with Max, Kim and the remaining two lamassu. The akumatized statue let out a mighty roar. He grabbed his baton. "How good are you guys at taming wild animals?"

Kim smirked. "Good enough for this!" Grabbing Max, he flung him up onto the back of one of the lamassu, and jumped onto the other. The duo clung to the necks of the states as they faced the akumatized lamassu, staring each other down.

"Oh, my," Max murmured, "I wish we could have practiced-!" His lamassu charged, ramming its head into the side of the akuma. Kim let out a whoop as his ran around to the back and bit its tail. "Kim, keep it from smashing into me!"

"I prefer to let the llama do all the work!"

"It is a lamassu!"

"That is totally what I said!"

The akuma was too distracted by the other lamassu to notice Chat Noir. He ran at the statue, used his baton to fling himself over its head, and landed on its back. He began banging on it with his baton, causing it to attempt shaking him off.

 _Come on…come on…_

Finally the akuma got back up on its hind legs. Chat leapt onto its head. "Go for the legs, Max, Kim!"

The boys smacked their lamassu on the neck, and together the two of them smashed into the legs of the akuma, sending it down onto its back. Chat and the boys slipped off and surveyed the damage: though its back legs were snapped, the akuma continued to writhe under the paws of the others. "This will keep it out of the way," Chat high-fived Max and Kim, "now we just have to hope that the others can handle the rest."

* * *

The second akuma slowly flew along the hall where the Greek statues were piled up in each of the windows, keeping out the stormy winds. Unbeknownst to it, Taruga was hiding behind one of the new tapestries hung on the walls, along with Nathanael, Ivan and Maylene. She had her shell on her wrist and was waiting…waiting…

The akuma was closing in on the pile of statues…getting closer…closer…

" _Achoo_!"

Taruga glanced at Maylene, who covered her mouth with her hands. "Oops."

The akuma turned away from the windows and fluttered towards the tapestry. Taruga was about to run out and face it when Nathanael grabbed her wrist. "Wait a minute."

"We have even less than a minute-!"

He gave her a long kiss before letting her continue. "I…I have…minute…less…wow," she gave him a peck on the cheek, "since when are you so bold?"

"Since my girlfriend starting fighting as a superhero."

"You want bold?" She slipped out from the tapestry and bent her arm back. "I'll show you bold!" She whipped the shell past the akuma as it loomed over them.

"SHELTER!"

Ivan gawked. "You – you missed the akuma entirely!"

 **With the class split up into smaller groups, it becomes easier to show their individual skills and characteristics. Also, this helps clear up the akumas, so that we can return our focus to HawkMoth. Go team go!**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	53. The Art of Akumatization

The shell Taruga tossed past the akuma grew as it flew. Maylene, Ivan and Nathanael raced out from under the tapestry. "Oh, no," Maylene gasped, "you missed the akuma!"

Taruga was the only one not concerned. She spun around to the others and grabbed the edge of the tapestry. "Hold on and _do not let go_!"

"But what about the-"

 _SMASH!_

The enlarged shell tore through the statues piled up against the window, breaking them apart and allowing the winds to tears them out into the sky. The akuma, inches from touching Taruga, was pulled out of the hall and into the air. She, Nathanael and the others clung to the tapestry as the winds tried yanking them past the shattered glass.

"Okay," Nathanael yelled over the wind, "now what?!"

Holding the tapestry with one hand, Taruga whistled. The large shell came swinging back like a boomerang, and stuck itself in front of the window. The winds were cut off, and the four of them dropped to their feet on the floor. Taruga nudged Nathanael. "Bold enough for you?"

He smiled. "No one is as bold as you."

Ivan stepped over to the shell and rapped his knuckles against it. "Guess we stay here to make sure the shell keeps put."

Maylene nodded with a frown. "I hope the rest will be alright."

* * *

The third akuma fluttered its way down to the Art gallery, where the Mona Lisa and its fellow art pieces hung. Though it was dark, it became quite clear that there was something off about some of the works…they were no longer hanging. Five of the pieces were resting on the floor, leaning against whatever the akuma could not see. It was coming closer…closer…

"Pssh," Rose whispered to Juleka, "how much longer do we have to hold these up?"

"Until it leaves."

They, Povas, Sabrina and Nino were hiding behind the artwork, keeping as close to the walls as possible without ruining the art. Rose felt her arms going rubbery from holding the art up for so long. Juleka put one hand on her art and one on Rose's to keep them both up. Povas glanced over at Sabrina and Nino, who returned his gaze.

 _Better now than too late._

As the akuma centered itself in the hallway, hovering over the low benches, Povas and the others surrounded it with their artwork. Before it could fly away, Povas leapt up with his giant artwork and slammed the akuma down. "Alright, you four," he said as they gently put their artwork back against the walls, "as soon as it possesses the portrait, we need to-?!"

The portrait went a deep, dark purple, indicating a successful possession – and then it threw itself into the air, smashing Povas against the glass roof above and cracking its edges. As his chest exploded in pain, he could faintly hear Nino and Juleka yelling something at him…or were they yelling at the akumatized art?

 _Lucky it did akumatize the artwork, despite it not being alive_ , he thought as his body fell back to the benches, sending them toppling beneath him, _but I suppose, in a way, art has its own sense of life…?_

He became aware that we had landed beside the benches – right on top of poor Rose and Sabrina. "Ow, ow, ow," Sabrina moaned as Rose helped Povas onto his knees, "why did we do that?!"

"So Povas would have a soft landing!" Rose let out her own groan and rubbed her back. "Pillows would be a good idea next time, though."

Povas looked away from the girls. Juleka and Nino were batting the akumatized, floating artwork between them, using smaller portraits as bats. "If it touches us," Nino warned, "then we become possessed again, right?"

Juleka nodded.

"Then, like, do _not_ let it touch you!"

It was obvious and essential. Sabrina looked around the hallway for something to use: more art, more cracks in the windows, more benches…!

"Rose, help me with these!"

Juleka noticed what the girls were doing and signalled Nino. They shoved their portraits against the akuma, pinning it to the floor. Just as it was about to shake them off, Rose and Sabrina threw down a pair of benches overtop it. They continued piling the benches on until the akuma was so covered it was impossible to make out the actual artwork.

The four of them stepped back to survey the bench pile. Nino gave Sabrina and Rose a pat on the back, and high-fived Juleka. "Good work, guys – we totally owned that akuma!"

"This should work," Sabrina turned around, "right, Povas…uh," she looked around the hall, "did I miss something?"

The four of them looked around, but it was to no use.

Povas was gone.

* * *

" _Guh_!"

" _Gah_!"

" _Ugh_!"

Ladybug, Queen Bee and Vixen bashed into the front entrance and landed in a pile of arms and legs. Quickly untangling themselves from one another, the trio stood and faced HawkMoth. The rift in reality behind him was now four times bigger, hiding the back of the Cour Marly and now squirming. Its many tendrils were merging with the walls and floor, opening windows into other worlds.

"This could have been so much easier," HawkMoth spoke in a resigned voice, scepter and staff in his hands, "and yet you continue to fight me…why?"

Queen Bee couldn't scoff louder. "You want to destroy reality! Of course we have to stop you!"

"You would let your family die?"

Vixen cringed. "We would do everything to help them but ripping apart the world."

"She deserves a chance at life again."

"Maybe," Ladybug was almost as resigned as he was, "but we have no right to takes the lives of others for her sake…and you know what? She would agree with me."

HawkMoth sighed. "Very well." He brought out his sword again and pointed it at the girls. "If you continue to try and stop me from saving a life, then I have no choice but to mark you – just as I marked Povas."

 **Okay, everybody in the audience of this story, raise your hand if you think HawkMoth is getting a bit too repetitive? Yes, I see one...two...all of you? Good answer! Don't worry, this fight does have an end, and it will blow you away...maybe...alright, well, it will at the very least make you gasp. Also, I have a few little Easter eggs in the next chapter, so keep your eyes open ;)**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	54. Did Ya Get The Reference?

_Time for the plan to unfold. If this fails…then we have no other choice but to watch reality break apart._

Vixen put her flute to her lips. "Get out there, you two," she told Queen Bee and Ladybug, "and _I_ will put things in place."

The girls nodded and ran off, Queen Bee to the air and Ladybug up the steps. HawkMoth took to the front of the coffin. "Try and stop me," he said, "though we already know the outcome. It will end the same as it has before, and before that, and before that…"

White tendrils were crawling along the stairs and ledges. Ladybug glanced at the wall beside her and gawked, skidding to a halt. "Wha-"

 _Shing!_

A sword with a skull handle jabbed through one of the small reality openings. "Arg," it snapped at her, "ye be standing before the great Calabrass, fair maiden!"

It vanished back into the rift as it shut. Ladybug blinked a few times before giving Vixen a shrug.

 _That was a little weird._

Vixen had no explanation. Two small portals opened by her legs, and an army of toys raced from one to the other, screaming for justice as the portals closed behind them.

 _Way strange._

Queen Bee felt something small smack against the back of her head. "Ow," she moaned, rubbing where it was now sore, "where did that…come…"

A small blonde fairy was rubbing its head. As soon as it noticed Queen Bee it shrieked and flew back into a rift, a garden beyond its white rim; it shut as soon as the fairy vanished.

 _I am way too tired for this._

"Spectacular," HawkMoth murmured as Ladybug continued towards him, dodging rifts this way and that, "opening to other parts of the world…glimpsing at magic so unlike the Kwamis…here we can touch other realities."

Queen Bee glared down at him. "No way are we letting you touch other realities, not with how messed up you wanna make our own!" She flew towards him and swung her honey whip out. The end wrapped around his staff and held it back. "Now, Ladybug!"

"Thanks, Queen!" Ladybug jumped over the last few steps and chucked her yo-yo at the scepter. HawkMoth deflected it with the handle, shooting the yo-yo back past her and creating a dent in the ledge. "Yikes."

"I may not be able to cut you like I did Povas," he said, his arm behind his back as Queen Bee held it with her whip, "but I can still keep you from touching my love."

Vixen glowered. This was not his love – this was his _insanity_. She hid behind a ledge and began to play a tune to sweet it nearly made all her teeth fall out. She was the only one who could hear it over the rifts, and it was making her insides churn.

 _For the good of the city. For the good of the world._

Chat Noir ran in from the side entrance and gawked at the sight: Queen Bee hovering too close to the large white rift of reality, her whip holding the sword of HawkMoth behind him, while Vixen hid with her flute and Ladybug tried tugging her yo-yo out of concrete. "Whoa."

HawkMoth kept the scepter overhead as more rifts began popping up around them, even around Queen Bee as she ducked and dodged out of the way. "You foolish children. Only moments now stand between me and my…and…my…" His voice trailed off as his eyes widened. Everyone fell silent as he stared at the coffin. Chat Noir leaned over the ledge and gasped.

"…M-Mother?"

Her eyes were open and her fingers were twitching. HawkMoth gazed so intently at the glass that Queen Bee figure he was attempting to melt it with his "love". It was definitely unnerving, to see her move after all these months.

"…It," HawkMoth finally found his voice again, "it works…reality," he was grinning, "is really bringing her back to me!"

Chat swallowed back what was bound to be the worst upchuck in Parisian history. Mrs. Agreste was…his mother was actually looking around, strands of her hair falling over her pale cheeks. In seconds the room temperature has warmed up. He almost smiled.

 _…Mother…look this way…I…we…_

Then he remembered Vixen, playing her flute behind the ledge, and the truth forced him back to the painful plan.

 _"I can create a distraction using the coffin,"_ Vixen had told them before they split up, _"which will give us an opening to finish off the scepter."_

Chat watched as HawkMoth traced his gloved hand around Mrs. Agreste's face in a sickeningly doting way.

 _…Sorry, mother_ , he had to look away for the rest, _but…you would never approve…of risking the lives of others._

Mrs. Agreste looked up at HawkMoth with mild confusion, eyes exhausted and hands weakly tapping against the glass. Ladybug carefully tiptoed closer as HawkMoth kept his back to her, his full attention on the coffin.

"My darling…finally…you and I…together…with Alix and Jalil…"

 _Yeah_ , Ladybug grit her teeth, _because she never had a child of her own._

HawkMoth placed his hand on the glass. Mrs. Agreste slowly reached up for it…until her eyes drifted to the large rift in reality behind him, a huge white blob that was now emanating strange sounds.

"Never mind that," he told her, "we can fix-?"

She retracted her hands, her eyes wild, as if memories were flooding back. HawkMoth tried to get her to reach out to him again, but it was too late: she turned away from him and covered her ears, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Wait-"

She shook her head.

"Listen-"

She attempted to curl up.

"I did this for you!"

Vixen hit a high note. Mrs. Agreste glanced up at HawkMoth, loathing in her irises. HawkMoth stumbled back.

"…No…you…we…"

The scepter loosened in his grip. Almost simultaneously, Ladybug jumped onto the coffin and wrapped the yo-yo around it.

"Bye-bye, scepter!"

HawkMoth howled in rage as she swung it into the white void.

"NNNOOO!"

 **Ha-ha, I told you there would be a few Easter eggs in this chapter! (Kudos to those who got the sword and fairy, and if anybody got the toys reference, you get the honour...of knowing you Zagtoon stuff). And yes, the scepter is finally into the rift, which should mean that Ladybug and the others will finally be able to defeat HawkMoth...**

 **Right?**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	55. When the Peacock Flies

Chat Noir may not have been able to look at his mother as she moved, but he clearly saw the way Ladybug successfully threw the scepter into the white nothingness. He let out a whoop similar to Queen Bee and punched the air. "You did it!"

Ladybug smiled back at him. " _We_ did it."

HawkMoth was staring at Ladybug as though she were a ghost. He lunged for her with his sword but was dragged back to the floor by Queen Bee. "Nuh-uh," she pointed at the honey whip still wrapped around the staff, "not on my watch."

He got to his knees in time to see purple smoke dissipating inside the coffin, Mrs. Agreste once again lying still with hands over her chest. She had never moved. He barely heard Vixen as she stood up beside Ladybug on the glass. "Now we can say this is over, HawkMoth."

"…She…never…woke up…"

Despite everything that had happened, the sadness in his voice brought out slivers of pity from the heart of Ladybug. One glance at Chat, however, whipped them away. He had almost had to watch his mother rise from the dead and fall in love with a maniac. Alix and Jalil would have to live with the knowledge that their father was a criminal. She looked HawkMoth directly in the eye.

"She never would have woken up for you."

Queen Bee had a few things to say, having worried for the sanity of Adrien almost as much as Ladybug, when the white nothingness caught her attention. She squinted, looking for something out of place amidst the whiteness. She had seen something moving…something with colour…it was in the middle…

"Guys!"

She had called for attention just in time. The white void formed a dozen glowing white rings, swirling around the floating scepter as its golden sheen turned silver. Vixen could feel heat rushing off it in waves. "I think the best action would be to leave, because that thing looks ready to blow!"

The scepter was showing signs of breaking: it was shaking, the metal was cracking, and the rings surrounding it were wavering. Ladybug knew what she had to do, their only chance of fighting back the destruction: her lucky charm. As she raised her yo-yo, however, HawkMoth stood and turned to the scepter.

"My second chance!"

Ladybug and Vixen made to grab him, but one of the wavering white rings burst, throwing them off the coffin and into the air. Queen Bee released her honey whip and grabbed them by the back of their costumes, inches before they would have hit the ground. As she gently set them on their feet, Chat Noir surveyed the tendrils over the Cour Marly.

 _…Oh, no, no, no!_

The tendrils were erupting, breaking apart the ledges and stairs – and they were reaching for the coffin. He moved without thought, reaching out his claws.

"CATACLYSM!"

He disintegrated the glass and quickly took his mother into his arms. It was the strangest feeling he had ever felt, part worry, part fear, part nausea, and part relief.

"Chat," Ladybug yelled, "behind you!"

Chat Noir leapt off the coffin not a moment too soon, as one of the rings smashed into the coffin. He landed beside Vixen and looked back as HawkMoth stepped closer to the vibrating scepter. "Get back before it hits you!"

"ILL-WILL-USION!" Vixen barely registered the orb at the end of her flute before she swung it at HawkMoth, hitting him square in the back. He tried to reach for the scepter, but his knees gave out from under him. "There, that should keep him-"

"Until we finish this."

The four of them turned to Povas, who was standing in the entrance with the cloth still around his wound. Each of them opened their mouth to chastise him for returning to the danger, but he raised his hand to cut them off. "Wait…me first."

"Uh," Chat glanced at the scepter, rings, and dizzy HawkMoth, "how long?"

"Long enough." He too gave the scepter a quick glance, but there was a firmness in his stance. It was enough to keep the group silent.

"Lucky charm is likely the only way to counter the rift. You have to activate it only when you feel the destruction, not when you see it: you cannot trust your eyes when reality is falling apart. Get everybody outside, there are police waiting."

Vixen pointed at HawkMoth. "What do we do about him?"

"Leave him to me. As soon as the charm deactivates the destruction, everything around us should reverse and return to normal," he looked to Chat Noir, "and that includes your parents. Gabriel will be safe, and your mother…will…"

Chat gulped. "She will return to where she died."

Povas nodded. Ladybug reached out for Chat, but for once he declined her hand. "I can do this on my own," he smirked, "though your concern makes me giddy."

 _Oh, Adrien._

Queen Bee was far from satisfied. "What about you?"

Povas said nothing despite the group trying to stare him down.

"Where do you fit into this plan?"

He placed his hand on his hip.

"You think you get to stay behind?"

He grabbed the peacock brooch.

"No one gets left behind!"

 _Swish!_

Graham de-transformed and held the brooch out to Ladybug. "Take this and get your class out of here before it blows – and remember to use your lucky charm."

"But-"

He put his hands on her shoulders. "You are an amazing leader, Marinette. You are brave, kind and brilliant. You can and you will get everyone out of here in time."

Vixen opened her mouth to retort, but he had already put one of his hands on her shoulder. "You are needed here, Alya. Your skills in investigation, comradery and creativity are essential for fighting rogues and villains."

Chat Noir shifted Mrs. Agreste on his shoulder as Povas turned to him. "Adrien, your loyalty, determination and combat skills are a requirement if Paris is going to be kept safe."

Finally, Graham turned to Queen Bee, and he leaned in close so only she could hear. "Chloe…I know you already know how talented you are. Your bravery, strength and improvisation skills will be vital in watching over your friends and family…I only wish I had told you sooner, rather than running away and saying such cruel things."

Queen Bee felt her eyes getting watery again, but she was too busy looking Graham over. His wound was staring to show through his shirt. "What are you planning?"

He gave her a sad smile. "Nothing you four would find too farfetched if you had come up with it first."

She threw her arms around him before anyone could move, afraid that when she let go he would be gone. "Please. If you try what I think you want to try…don't."

Graham hugged her back. "Keep Paris safe for me."

Ladybug glanced away from the touching moment to notice HawkMoth, back on his feet and reaching up for the scepter. It and the rings were glowing brighter and brighter. She would have to knock him back to keep the scepter out of his grasp.

"Forgive me."

 _Bam!_

Ladybug had barely registered what Graham had said before Vixen, Chat Noir, Mrs. Agreste and Queen Bee toppled into her. She shoved them off in time to see Graham running past, towards the coffin. "What are you doing?!"

Chat Noir gawked. "HawkMoth!"

He had jumped up and was now holding onto the scepter handle. "Yes," he cried out, "I can just do it all over again!"

Graham hopped onto the remains of the coffin as the group below got to their knees. He glanced back and gave them one final smile, this one without a hint of sadness.

"Bye-bye, petite pecans."

The scepter became enveloped in blinding white light, and Graham lunged into the nothingness. The group screamed in horror.

"GRAHAM!"

 **And we are finally coming up on the final chapters of the story! This has been such a long and enjoyable journey, bringing all these characters together for one final adventure before I wrap the series up! I hope you guys have been enjoying, and...I know this chapter may be a tad more emotional than the usual, but...just stick with me, please?**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	56. Miraculous Momentum!

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

Still no response from either HawkMoth or Graham from beyond the white nothingness that had now engulfed half the Cour Marly. Queen Bee felt everything inside her shaking. She knew he was going to do something crazy, and she had done nothing to stop him.

 _This is my fault. This is all my-_

"Queen."

She turned to the others, who were equally stunned. None of them mentioned the tears. "You and Vixen have to get everyone out of the museum, okay?"

"…"

Vixen took her hand and gently guided her away from the courtyard. "We have to make sure his...you know... _means_ something."

The duo left Ladybug and Chat Noir, the latter still cradling Mrs. Agreste as though she might fade away any second. Ladybug held her yo-yo in both hands, having placed the peacock miraculous on the floor beside her, and carefully examined each black spot. She could only hope that her lucky charm would be able to stop the destruction of reality. If they failed…

"Ladybug."

Chat Noir placed his mother along the floor beside the ledge, before standing up and holding out his hand. Ladybug gratefully took it while holding the yo-yo in the other. "What if my power is too weak? What if I make it worse?"

Chat actually managed a chuckle. "Worse than reality falling apart?"

She chuckled back. "I mean…maybe not."

He held her gaze so long she was afraid that the white nothingness would overcome them soon. "If anybody can stop this, it will be you. Graham…he was right about you. We need you to lead us, so stop the nothingness before we run out of time."

Ladybug could only nod, unsure of how to respond. The nothingness responded for her, though, as it rumbled. The duo looked to it in time to watch a huge wave burst forth and surge through their chests, through the courtyard entrance, and out past the museum. In their minds they saw the moments Tikki and Plagg first came to them – and they also saw Chloe speaking to Huneyy for the first time, and Alya meeting Trixx, and Graham being handed Arguss, and everything Mr. Kubdel had been planning, and Lila planning with Wayzz-

 _Memories are surging through us…but why?_

* * *

Queen Bee, Vixen and the rest of the class felt the surge as they were nearing the entrance to the museum. The white wave flew through their bodies and out past the windows. Lila turned back to the girls. "What happened in the Cour Marly?"

 _Beep-beep-beep!_

Alya de-transformed but could give no answer. "Ladybug and Chat Noir can handle it. We need to get outside."

"Uh, no way," Nino planted his feet firmly to the tiles, "not without my best friends."

"Nino-"

"And what about Povas?" Rose was looking around as the rest of the class started planting their own feet to the ground around Nino. "We have to wait for him to come back."

Queen Bee bit her lip to keep it from trembling as he wrapped her arms around her chest. "Rose, Povas is…will _not_ be coming back."

Sabrina stepped over to her. "Where did he go, Chloe?"

She could barely get the words out. "…Nothingness."

Sabrina gasped and wrapped her in a huge hug, willing her to cry out and release the tension in her heart. Nino softened his stern look and walked over to Alya, pulling her in for a hug as she sniffled. Lila turned to the rest of the class as they stood around the hall.

"We wait for Ladybug and Chat Noir…and then we get out of here…hopefully."

* * *

"LUCKY CHARM!"

Ladybug caught a spotted photo frame and smiled. The photograph inside had come from her memories: it was a photo of the class they had taken a couple weeks ago, this one now including a friendly Chloe and Sabrina. She showed Chat Noir, but he was staring at his mother again. She put her hand on his shoulder.

"Time to let her rest again."

Chat Noir took her hand as she held the photograph above them. They stared at the nothingness. Together they took in deep breaths, before bellowing at the top of their voices.

"MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!"

The nothingness attempted to swallow them whole, sliding along the walls of the Cour Marly and diving for their heads – but it never made contact. Thousands of sparkling ladybugs had now surrounded the duo, shining with hues of pink and red and black, so bright that they reflected the white of the nothingness. Ladybug watched the bugs swirling around her and Chat Noir. "Have there ever been so many with such speed?!"

The nothingness and ladybugs clashed, swirling around one another or so long Chat Noir feared he would lose consciousness from holding his breath. Ladybug gripped his hand tightly as white and red and pink and black collided into a grand tornado around them.

And then, slowly but surely, the whiteness began to fade. Ladybug and Chat Noir let out their held breaths as the ladybugs pushed the nothingness back. The Cour Marly was reforming before their eyes. In moments the reality rifts had vanished. The ladybugs shot into the sky, erasing the storm and bringing back the setting sun. There were no more violent winds. There were no more akumas flying around the museum. Chat Noir watched as his mother faded into a cloud of sparkles, a small smile upon her pale lips.

 _...Goodbye, mother._

"…We," Ladybug had to lean on Chat Noir, "we actually did it this time…we stopped the rift before it destroyed everything! My power was enough! The lucky charm _worked_!"

Chat had never seen Ladybug grin so sincerely. He turned her to face him and, of course, kissed her with as much sincerity. When he pulled back he saw her wiping her eyes. Gently he wiped them away with his claws. "Graham was right about us…right about you, Ladybug. You _did_ lead us to victory."

Their smiles faltered, and their eyes fell back to the middle of the courtyard. They had won. The rifts were gone – but so was Mr. Kubdel.

And Povas.

 **At long, long, LONG last, our heroes have defeated HawkMoth and saved Paris - and the ENTIRE WORLD - from being sucked up into nothingness by the reality rifts. I may have gone a little overboard with this fight, but I really wanted to show how unstoppable this class is: no matter how many challenges you throw at them, they just keep coming back! If only it had cost them less...**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	57. An Adequate Inquiry?

Ladybug and Chat Noir found the rest of the class waiting for them in the entrance hallway. They could hear police sirens directly outside, and red lights shone in through the windows. "You two took your time," Lila smirked, "but I _am_ glad to see the world is still in one piece."

Nino stepped up and high-fived the duo as Queen Bee and Alya joined them. Rose and Juleka peeked out the windows and gasped. "Sabrina," they yelped, "your father!"

The entire class gathered around the windows and peered out. It was as though the entire Paris Police force was standing before them, cars lining the street and courtyard. Sabrina saw her dad at the front, bellowing into his megaphone in a highly unprofessional manner.

"Sabrina! SABRINA! Come out, please! Where are you?!"

Sabrina had to wipe away her own tears at the sight of her father crying. Queen Bee took her by the hand and faced the class. "Time for us to get out there and put a couple agitated families to peace."

The class made sure Sabrina was the first to exit the museum. Her father dropped the megaphone and raced towards her, and once he was close enough he pulled her in for a hug and spun her two, three, four times. Queen Bee only made out a few words through his blubbering.

"My little girl…wonderful…hero…so worried!"

Ladybug smiled at the sight, though the peacock brooch in her hand felt even heavier. The class walked past her, Chat Noir, Queen Bee, Alya and Lila. "Thank you for all your help," she said as the officers stepped forward to collect the classmates, "and I hope what we saw in there…" It was hard to think of the right thing to say.

 _Hope it doesn't traumatize you? Hope you can keep the secret?_

Nino fixed his cap and gave her a wink. "It was an awesome tour!"

Alya blinked a few times, stunned. "…W-What?"

Sabrina managed to pry herself away from her dad and turned to the heroes. "Thank for keeping us safe during the storm!"

Rose nodded her head. "Who else could watch over the entire museum?"

The officers exchanged confused expressions. Even Sabrina's dad was scratching his head. "I…I thought HawkMoth was inside the museum?"

Before Ladybug could make up another lie, Jalil stepped up with Alix. "My apologies, officer. I meant that, when I called about trouble at the museum, it was my fear that the displays would be stolen during the confusion."

"Huh." Her father stared at him a long moment before clearing his throat. "Well, I hope that the next time this happens, you call us straight away – and put a little more faith in Ladybug and the rest of our heroes."

Jalil smiled. "Of course."

The next few minutes were a blur for Ladybug. The class was split between the police cars, all heading home. Lila, Alix, Jalil and Alya stayed behind, Chat Noir assuring the officers that they would be getting them home safely. After a quick search through the museum by Sabrina's dad, they gave the all-clear and headed out. Sabrina waved goodbye to Queen Bee as she and her father headed off down the street. At least, in the beginning of the evening, the heroes, Alix and Jalil were on their own.

 _Beep-beep-beep!_

Ladybug knew her earrings were giving out. It was the longest they had lasted after using her lucky charm, but she was pushing even her own luck. "Jalil," she glanced at him, "what do you plan to do now?"

He and Alix looked to one another. "I am…unsure what happens next. Sooner or later people are going to wonder where our father is. When that time comes…"

He was saved form finishing his thought by the sound of incoming traffic. Five cars pulled up to the curb, including a long limousine. Lila gawked. "No way!"

Natalie and the bodyguard threw themselves out of the limo before it had even full parked. They ran towards the stairs as Chat Noir descended. Natalie was the first to him and pulled him in for a big hug. "Oh, Adrien," she was actually crying, shocking everyone around, "if I had known what your father had been up to – I am so, so sorry!"

Chat Noir faltered under her tears. He had never expected the bodyguard to tell her so soon. He looked over her shoulder at him. "You told her as soon as you got back to the mansion?"

Surprisingly, his bodyguard shook his head. "Some large white ring shot through the mansion as I pulled up. Suddenly, I could see your memories. I saw you receive the ring. Natalie did, too, so she was waiting outside as soon as I pulled up."

Lila and Alya gasped. "You guys _know_?! That means," they spoke in unison, "everybody knows the truth now!"

"Not everybody."

Ladybug made her own gasp as an old man made his way out of the limousine and towards them. "Master Fu!"

He gave a small wave and stopped at the bottom of the steps. His eyes rested on the brooch she was holding. "…So it is true. He is…"

Ladybug, Lila, Alya and Queen Bee walked down and around him as Chat Noir continued to be caught in the embrace of Natalie and his bodyguard. "I knew he was up to something," Queen Bee admitted with clenched fists, "and still I…I just let him go…I," her grip loosened, "should have done more."

Master Fu took her hand and gave her a sad smile. "Graham knew what he was doing, and he did it to protect you. He stopped HawkMoth from completing the rifts in reality…and along the way, he decided to strengthen the bond you have with your families."

Alya tilted her head. "What do you mean our…families…?" She only then recognized the cars on the curb, and it made her blood run cold. "…G-Guys!"

Ladybug and the others saw it, too, and they were just as shock. Coming out of the cars were not more police officers.

It was their parents.

 **Uh-oh, looks like our heroes have a little - or a LOT - of explaining to do now that their parents are on the scene! Just how will they all react to finding out their children have been heroes this whole time? And yes, I know, the white ring ONLY touching their families and friends? A little bit of a stretch...but, I mean, this is a show where a dude in a purple suit possesses children with evil butterflies. Stretch all you like.**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	58. Pride of our Parentage

_Mom. Dad. Here. Me. Ladybug. Cannot. Think. Straight._

Ladybug, Queen Bee, Alya, Lila, Alix, Jalil and Chat Noir were flabbergasted at the sight. Their parents got out of the cars and slowly approached them, as if afraid of what might happen next. It was Master Fu alone who remained calm. He also had an explanation. Ladybug did not question how he knew so much. After all, he was over a hundred years old: he was bound to know most of the truth.

"I knew the scepter was a risk, but I had no proof without placing your identities in danger. It is my fault that Mr. Kubdel got so far. Graham knew what would happen, he had heard of the risks before, and so he acted: he jumped into the void to keep HawkMoth from escaping again. This is the price of entering reality itself."

Mayor Bourgeois stumbled over and stopped in front of Queen Bee. "My princess," he held his arms out for her, "how could I never know it was you under that beautiful mask?"

Queen Bee had wide eyes, but the sight of her father looking at her with such pride – pride in her own abilities and not just because she was his daughter – brought tears to her own eyes, and she jumped into his arms. "I was chosen, daddy, chosen because of my strengths, not my money!"

"Of course you were!"

Master Fu chuckled before continuing.

"Once inside the rift, Graham knew Ladybug would be able to reverse the damage with her own lucky charm powers. All he had to do was keep HawkMoth from escaping…until the rifts were shut, and they were sealed in."

Alya saw her mom and dad standing by their car, staring at her. She gave Ladybug a nudge and ran towards them, her fox pendant now visible over her shirt.

"Graham must have also known that there was a chance that, should he reveal what he knew, reality would find a way of bending his wishes. He used the rifts to his advantage, and filled the rings that shot out of the museum with his final wish: for your loved ones to finally know the truth, and to accept the dangers you have faced."

Lila grinned as her parents waved her over, and together the three of them fell to their knees in a huge hug that had the trio laughing at some sort of joke Ladybug had not heard.

"They were not his memories, but by manipulating reality with what remained of the scepter, he was able to expand your own memories and spread them out, only to your parents and friends. You do not have to be afraid, for not everybody knows the truth. Just those that Graham felt you should trust."

There was a cough from behind her, and as she spun around her eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. "Mr. Agreste?!"

Sure enough, Gabriel stood at the entrance in his white suit. "It would seem that I was saved and placed in the Tibetan exhibition," he explained as Chat, Natalie and the bodyguard noticed him, "so I believe that I…I owe you a thank you."

"DAD!" Chat Noir leapt up the stairs and into his arms, and after a few seconds, Gabriel gladly returned the hug. "I knew you would be alright!"

"With you watching over me, there is little doubt."

Natalie and the bodyguard stood up and faced Mr. Agreste. He looked back to them. "…Well," he smirked, "what are you waiting for? I believe we are late for dinner. Natalie, we will have to make a quick stop at the grocery store to pick up Adrien's favourite fries."

Chat Noir glanced at Master Fu and the other, but they all nodded their heads. No one but they knew who the real HawkMoth was.

 _The class will understand_ , Ladybug thought as Chat turned back to his father with a huge grin, _if we decide to let Adrien keep his father._

Master Fu cleared his throat, catching her attention. "I believe there are a couple people who are waiting for _you_ , Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

Everything was still topsy-turvy in her mind: the loss of Graham, learning Mr. Kubdel and Mr. Agreste were HawkMoth, seeing Mrs. Agreste, giving Lila the turtle miraculous, etc. She wasn't sure anything was gonna make her feel better for a long time.

Then she saw her parents.

Mrs. and Mr. Dupain-Cheng were standing side by side a few feet away from the glass pyramid. They were staring at Ladybug. Her mother had her hands over her mouth. Her father fell to his knees. Ladybug felt her heart stop.

 _How can I face them…after all this time…all the danger I've faced has been their daughter…if I run away, maybe I can-?_

Her father reached out for her, spreading his arms wide. Her mother removed her hands to reveal a huge smile. Ladybug felt her eyes watering.

 _Beep-beep-beep!_

She de-transformed, her earrings losing their black spots. Tikki flew back into her purse. "Go on," she whispered to Marinette, "before his arms get tired."

Marinette smiled, then, grinned, and then she was running, past Lila and Alya and right into the arms of her father. He wrapped her mother into the hug and held them as close as possible. Their warmth circulated throughout her shivering body.

"I wanted to tell you," she was blubbering with little control over what she said, "but it would be putting you in danger! I know you guys thought I was skipping class, but it was to save people, and I had to keep it from you! All those times Ladybug was in danger made me wonder if I was going to come home in one piece! I am sorry, so, so, so-"

Her mother her a finger to her lips to silence her, though she was still smiling and crying. "Our precious Marinette – we have never been as proud of you as we are now."

"Our hero," her father added, "the one and only Ladybug."

Marinette let out a huge breath she had been holding forever. Her family knew. She could tell them everything. She felt at ease…at last…

Until a huge rift in reality opened up above them.

 **Sorry this is being posted so late, Fanfic wasn't allowing me in this morning!**

 **And you guys thought I was gonna be mean and have huge arguments between parents and children ;) I mean, I suppose that would be a tad more realistic...but dang it, I need these children to have a happy ending, and by golly am I gonna give it to them! Now we just have to figure out what happens when one final rift opens...**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	59. Healing the Final Rift

The huge rift of white nothingness hung overhead, causing the Dupain-Cheng trio to race out and over beside Mayor Bourgeois and Queen Bee. "Quick," he commanded in a tone Marinette had never heard him take, "back to the cars!"

Lila, Alya and Chat Noir moved their families towards the glass pyramid, but as Marinette had her parents on the move, she noticed that Queen Bee, Alix and Jalil were not moving, transfixed on the rift. "We have to get out of here so I can…uh…guys?"

"Why," Jalil pointed a shaky finger at it, "does it look to be shrinking?"

The rift was indeed shrinking, as well as splitting into two. Chat Noir made sure his father was beside Natalie and the bodyguard before moving closer, along with Queen Bee and Alix. Despite the concerns of the parents, no one stopped them: they were all too curious about what the rift was actually doing.

"Impossible," Marinette murmured. "I reversed the rifts with his lucky charm. How is this even happening?"

The rift was starting to shape two blobs, one longer than the other. Queen Bee knew she had no right to get her hopes up, but…if this was what she thought it was…

 _Please, please, please – I know this is next to impossible, but-_

"Oh, gosh," Lila gawked, "are those _bodies_?!"

Sure enough, the two blobs were slowing forming legs and arms. It would have been hilarious had the situation not been so terrifying. The blobs slowly descended to the ground and sat upon the cold concrete. Queen Bee was the closest, and as the blobs began to take colour, her hopes escalated.

"…G-Graham?"

He was smaller than usual, his clothes hanging off him, but she recognized his dark fringe and icy blue eyes right away. He looked up at her, causing the others to gasp at how young his face had become.

"…C-Chloe?"

She was on her knees and throwing her arms over him before the others could take in the scene. "Y-You idiot," she snapped through a waterfall of tears, "h-how _d-dare_ you j-jump into danger l-l-like t-that! H-How can I _e-ever_ f-f-forgive you?!"

Alya smiled. She had little doubt that Chloe would be able to forgive him. It felt too good to be true, having him back in one piece. Mr. Kubdel, on the other hand…

"…Uh…dad?"

Alix and Jalil stepped closer to their father, who slowly got to his knees and looked around. It was as if he were wearing an old man costume, with a greying beard and moustache, balding head, and thick wrinkles around his eyes and knuckles. His clothes hung off his bony figure as he let out a raspy breath. He noticed Alix and Jalil gawking at him.

"…My children," he smiled, showing all his teeth and gums, "where have you been all this time? It feels as if you two have been away for so long…"

Now everybody was freaking out, speaking in a flurry of questions and theories, until Master Fu whistled and got their attention. He held his hand out to Marinette, and she finally remembered that she had been holding the peacock miraculous the entire time. She handed it to him without taking her eyes off Graham and Mr. Kubdel. "Master Fu…how is this happening? If I reversed the rifts, then they should be…gone."

"The miraculous contain extremely powerful magic," he explained as the group gathered around Graham, Mr. Kubdel and Queen Bee, "so perhaps, when the lucky charm reacted to the rifts, the reaction made contact with the only two physical forms between space and time. Your charm has pulled them back into reality, Marinette, partly because of your conviction, and partly because of how powerful the miraculous have become over the centuries. However," he took in their ages, "it would seem that they have been marked by their time in the between."

Queen Bee pulled back from Graham as Master Fu knelt down and held out the peacock brooch for him to take. He looked at it for a moment before gently taking it in his hands and examining the blue feather design. "Arguss?"

The blue Kwami popped out of the brooch and gave his nose a big squeeze. "I thought I would never see you again!"

Alya noted the concern on his face, as well as the face of Mr. Kubdel. "…You guys _do_ recall jumping into the nothingness, don't you?"

Mr. Kubdel put his hand behind his ear. "Speak up, missy. I can barely hear you when you speak so quietly." When she repeated the question he made a shrugging notion. "I can barely remember my own birthday, let alone jumping into…what did you call it? Nothingness?" He glanced at Chat Noir. "What you are wearing, anyway, some sort of spandex getup? Think you can get all the girls with that?"

Graham ignored him and hugged Arguss tight, but held onto Queen Bee with one hand. "I…I remember a lot of things: being Povas, fighting alongside you guys here in Paris, and facing off against HawkMoth…but…nothing else."

Chat Noir felt his eras twitching. "So…you remember nothing beyond that? You've forgotten the previous _three hundred years_ of your life?!"

Graham stared at him. "Three hundred? How can that be? I have to be your age," he glanced at Queen Bee, "right?"

Chat looked ready to ask more, but Marinette shook her head. Queen Bee, on the other hand, was hugging Graham again, and this time, there was nothing awkward about it.

"Um," Alix stepped over while Jalil took care of their now elderly father, "you guys should have this, before it causes anymore trouble." In her hand was the butterfly miraculous. "So…who do you think will use it now?"

Master Fu turned to the heroes. "That will be up to them."

From out of the butterfly miraculous popped Nooroo, who looked around and smiled. "Am I free?" He did loop-de-loops in the air before crashing into Arguss and Master Fu and hugging them tightly. "I _am_ free! Oh, I _knew_ you would come to my rescue! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Nooroo glanced at Marinette. "I can be with a hero this time, right?"

Marinette felt the pressure of choosing a new hero all over again – only this time, Queen Bee had a light chuckle. "A hero who designs other heroes? Well," she smiled, glancing at Lila, "That should be obvious, shouldn't it?"

Marinette, Chat Noir and Alya exchanged shrugs. After everything that had happened today, they were more than willing to give their queen all the credit she deserved.

 _Now_ , Marinette thought to herself, _how will things ever go back to normal?_

 **Yes, the previous cliffhanger came right out of left field, but I'm hoping you guys will forgive me now that Graham is back. After all my years of being a DC comics fan, I understand how powerful time and reality rifts can be - powerful enough to take three hundred years off the average hero! So, here you have it, boys and girls: a fifteen year old Graham, FINALLY fit to make a certain Queen happy.**

 **Until the final chapter!**


	60. Miracle on the Parisian Street

**TWO WEEKS LATER**

Well, things had gone back to normal – as normal as Paris could get after nearly being destroyed by reality caving in on itself. The news was stilled filled with huge headlines, and people were still speculating, but it was a more peaceful speculation:

"HAWKMOTH DEFEATED: AKUMAS VANISH FROM PARIS FOR GOOD?"

"MAYOR BOURGEOIS MAKES IT OFFICIAL: PARIS THE SAFEST CITY ON THE CONTINENT!"

"LADYBUG AND CO. JOINED BY NEW HEROES: BUTTERFLIES AMONGST THEM?!"

"MUSEUM CURATOR SUFFERS RARE DISEASE: 100 SIGNS RETIRMENT IS NEARER THAN YOU WANT IT TO BE!"

"TORONTONIAN ACROBAT RECOVERING IN GENERAL HOSPITAL: POSSIBLE NEW SHOW ON THE RISE NEXT SUMMER?!"

"GABRIEL AGRESTE MAKING MORE PUBLIC APPEARANCES: LA PAPILLON NOW THE _#1 COMPANY IN PARIS_!"

Vixen had seen every headline as she raced overhead Paris, jumping from rooftop to rooftop as she neared the latest break-in, still in progress. Ever since Mr. Agreste had gone back to being a fulltime father and businessman, and Mr. Kubdel had admitted to having no memories of anyone called HawkMoth, Paris was without any major villains. The poor men had suffered enough – Mr. Kubdel spent his days helping Jalil run the museum.

 _He may have forgotten being one of the world's greatest villains, but no one can run that place better than him, even while he nears his nineties!_

With seven heroes watching over the city, it made being one a little bland, so getting any show of criminal activity was a rush. Of course, she never minded the company, especially now that her entire class was in on the secret, as well as her parents.

 _Great being able to tell mom that I have to go out and save the city, instead of lying and telling her about my constant visits to the ice cream shop across the way._

Finally she was above the scene of the crime. Standing atop the opposing roof, she watched as a pair of masked burglars rummaged around a tech shop, tossing phones and game consoles into their bags. Clearly, they were new around the area, because they were far from nervous, and any criminal in Paris had every right to be nervous with seven heroes around.

"Aw, and I thought I would make it first."

Chat Noir was crouched beside her with a huge grin on his face. Vixen snickered and twirled the tail on the back of her costume. "Foxes are faster."

"I beg to differ."

"Do you have proof of the opposite?"

"I mean, am I not proof _enough_?"

She had to suppress her laughter to keep the burglars from noticing. "How is your father doing? I hear he has a new line coming out soon – _Coccinelle Supreme_ , correct?"

"Coming this winter! Father is so excited, and he wants the entire class to model!"

"Does he know the truth about all of us?"

"I told him. I figured this could be the start of his…payment to society."

"Naturally," a voice came from behind them, "he will owe me an autograph." The duo turned to find Ladybug smiling at them, yo-yo in her hand. "Though you could start without your leader? How mean."

"Never, m'lady," Chat stood and kissed her hand, to which she did not recoil, "we were simply checking the perimeter."

Ladybug grinned. She had never seen Chat Noir so cheerful. It made her heart flutter like it never had before. She stepped between them and gazed down at the burglars. "Only two? I suppose we could leave it to the others."

"Oh, sure," someone said behind them, "so you can go and relax?"

Queen Bee and a young Povas walked up to them, hand in hand. The latter leaned close to Vixen as Queen Bee nudged Chat Noir for a hug.

"Is it okay if I join in?"

She and Ladybug nodded. Graham had been taking his time getting used to Paris again, resting with a still recovering Joseph, who had taken everything fairly well. Graham truly had lost three hundred years of memories, including everything he had told them during his time in Paris. His relationship with Chloe had only grown, however, and they were rarely apart. Only girls' night with Sabrina and the others could separate them.

 _I get why he gave us Arguss before jumping into the nothingness now_ , Ladybug figured, _because, if he had been Povas, he would have lost his sight – and possibly Arguss – by revealing the truth about himself and us. Smart thinking, even under pressure._

"Ooh, good, we made it just in time!"

Taruga ran over to them, and close behind her was their newest teammate. Ladybug could see the inspiration he had taken from his time as the Evillustrator, including the spiked red hair, painted white skin, and striped outfit, though the black was now a deep purple. "An excellent look as always, Nathanael," she winked, "or should I say, Kelebek?"

Kelebek sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "After I found out I have some Turkish blood in me, if just felt right."

"Better than HawkMoth," Taruga chuckled before giving him a kiss, "and besides, when it comes to creating new heroes, you _are_ the best in the business."

"Hey," one of the burglars yelled, pointing at the heroes, "look up there – I told you those guys would find out!"

"Shut up and help me load the car!"

Queen Bee sighed and checked her gloves fingers. "Why do they always insist on running when we clearly have more than enough skill to catch up?"

"Forget catching up," Taruga cracked her knuckles, "we have the power to stop them before they touch the car keys."

"Over there," one of the burglars pointed at a civilian walking by, "we can use them as a couple of hostages!"

The seven heroes looked over and saw Rose walking with Nino. Then they turned to Kelebek. He smiled and held his staff up. Sunlight reflected off the orb and in front of Rose, who looked up and smiled. She gave a wave as Nino caught sight of them. The burglars were shocked, but Ladybug knew what this meant.

 _Backup initiated!_

Rose and Nino held their wrists up, where a pair of red and black striped friendship bracelets could be seen. Kelebek grinned and whipped his staff around. Two violet butterflies shot out and hit the bracelets, and in seconds, Rose and Nino had been replaced by a neon pink Princess Fragrance and bright blue Bubbler.

"…Um," the burglars were gawking, and had dropped their bags of stolen goods, "…what just happened?"

The newly powered duo held their guns up. "Stick them up!"

For a moment, it seemed like they had won without a fight – until the sound of engines revving filled the air. The burglars smirked under their masks. "Not on your lives!"

"Oh, boy," Queen Bee flew into the air and looked around at the accompanying road, "we may have underestimated these guys – and their _army_!"

Over a dozen trucks willed to the brim with stolen goods were driving away from various shops that now had broken windows and doors. Chat Noir glanced at Ladybug. "Plan?"

She grinned and pecked his cheek. "Obviously." She turned from face to face and gave out her orders with the most confidence she had had in weeks.

"Chat Noir and Taruga, you take the ones heading south! Povas, you and Kelebek are on those up North! Queen Bee and Vixen will keep after the ones going east. Bubbler, Princess Fragrance and I will catch the western escapees!"

The team did a quick group high-five before splitting. Ladybug jumped down onto the street and pointed down the road. "You guys have enhanced strength and agility. Keep up, and we can get these guys before lunch!"

Rose giggled. "Thanks for this, Ladybug!"

Ladybug smiled. "No…thank you."

Bubbler gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Off we go!"

The trio jumped back to the roofs. Ladybug used her yo-yo to swing herself high into the air, so she had a clear view of all the heroes racing off their separate directions. She grinned from ear to ear.

HawkMoth was defeated. Their families and friends were in on the secret. They had each other. At long last…

Paris had truly become a miraculous haven for hero kind.

 **END**

 **Yes, I have used memory wipe as a way of defeating bad guys in other stories, but honestly, how could I rip apart such wonderful families? Besides, in this story, I got to use time rifts, so obviously something had to go, and no way was I getting rid of the characters, even if you did believe it for a while ;) Well, this is the end of the _Dance_ series, and I have no thankful for each and every one of you readers. This trilogy may be done, but we still have another two seasons of show to watch, and after that, who knows? I'm just so glad I was able to share my OC Graham/Povas with you guys (and fix the old shipping dilemma between him and Chloe). **

**Thank you all so much for reading, and until the next story!**


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